Unpredicted Fate
by LovelyAngelYuuki
Summary: It's the day of the Acnologia's attack on Tenrou Island. Fairy Tail members gave it their all but they still weren't able to defeat their greatest enemy. It's time for them to cast their defensive magic. But why is Lucy not helping her friends? And where is she heading to? Rated T just in case...
1. Descending Chaos

**Author's Note:** Yuuki here! Frankly, this is my first fanfic and I'm not sure what to think about it. I just hope it's not THAT bad... Well, enjoy! :)

**Summary: **It's the day of the Acnologia's attack on Tenrou Island. Fairy Tail members gave it their all but they still weren't able to defeat their greatest enemy. It's time for them to cast their defensive magic. But why is Lucy not helping her friends? And where is she heading to?

**Chapter 1 : Descending chaos**

Monstrous silhouette of absolutely unharmed Acnologia, the Dragon of chaos, was overshadowing the sun. It's sight sent chills down to the bottoms of hearts of Fairy Tail members.

"It's as healthy as ever!" exclaimed Elfman with slight desperation. Wendy, already on her knees from exhaustion voiced everyone's shocked thoughts. "Even though we gave it all we had... Even with the power of three dragon slayers, even with concentrating entire guild's power..." One tear slowly ran down her cheek.

Acnologia was already preparing for the last attack – it's Roar. "Don't tell me it's planning to wipe out the whole island!" cried Cana.

Refusing to get lost in hopelessness , Erza started giving out orders. "EVERYONE WHO CAN USE DEFENSIVE MAGIC, GO FULL POWER!" " Focus all your magic power on Fried and Levy!" shouted Lisanna. "Everyone hold hands!" suggested Mirajane. "Let's show this creature the bond of our guild!" joined Gray taking Juvia's hand.

Courageous Fairy Tail members started forming a circle by linking their hands along with their hearts and magic power. Only one person left until the completion of circle...

Lucy wasn't paying attention to her surroundings. Her eyes were solely locked on the dragon, who was still drawing in magic power for the attack. There was something about that cruel monster... A thought started to form at the back of Lucy's mind. _I … know that dragon! _She thought with shock. _Key... This is the key! _Suddenly Lucy was overwhelmed by flow of knowledge, strange memories and power. Her body was now giving off a soft glow. _That's right... I am...! _

She stood up and looked right at a little girl she had never seen before and instantly knew it was Mavis, the founding master of Fairy Tail. Somehow she knew what Mavis was planning to do. _She won't make it in time. _

With that, Lucy walked right up to Gray and Natsu, who were holding their hands out to her, beckoning her to take them. She caught their wrists and made them hold each others hands. Confused, they looked at her.

She just shook her head while smiling sadly and stood in front of Natsu, looking into his eyes. "Luce what are you doing? Hurry up and take my hand." He was trying to let go of Gary's hand. It was useless, she knew, because when she held their wrists, she sent her magic power into their hands, making them unable to let go.

Gently she touched Natsu's right forearm, which was now desperately shaking in effort to let go of Gray. Lucy slowly breathed out and with that, black rune tattoo started to appear on his skin.

She withdrew her hand and turned her attention from her work. "This will help you find Igneel." she calmly told the dragon slayer. Once again, he appeared confused.

Lucy couldn't hold it in anymore. Tears started to roll down her cheeks as she hugged the fire mage. Before she let go of him, she whispered into his ear what she was unable to tell him until now. She smiled at him, trying to make her smile full of love instead of sadness.

She couldn't speak anymore so she just walked into the centre of the circle ignoring pleading cries of her friends and she took off the ground. She flew right into the direction of Acnologia. _Right into the clutches of death _she thought bitterly, while she was silently praying for safety of her second family, the Fairy Tail.


	2. Angelic Sacrifice

**Author's Note: **Hi guys! Since your reviews were very cute and positive, I've decided to give you a little gift - next chapter. Originally I planned to upload it tomorrow, but oh well... Enjoy!

**Chapter 2: Angelic Sacrifice  
**

_**7 years later**_

Fairy Tail guild doors opened once more this day. Macao, now the 4th master of guild was sincerely hoping that this time it will be good news.

These last 7 years have been hard for Fairy Tail mainly because the strongest wizards had not come back since the Acnologia wiped out the Tenroujima island and guild members would often leave their guild to search for them, abandoning their jobs. After 3 years they stopped searching and would instead pray for their safe return...

Macao finally managed to get out of the memory lane and looked up to see who the visitor was. He couldn't contain surprise he felt. Members of Blue Pegasus.

Blue Pegasus was one of the guilds that helped Fairy Tail members in their search for their missing friends. Their relationship was good ever since so it was common for them to come for a chat, but this visit was different. They had Christina with them.

When Hibiki told them that Tenroujima island still exists, even Macao, who was still holding onto hope, was doubtful. But even the slightest chance of those words being true made them board Christina.

* * *

After the Mavis was spotted standing on water near the place where Tenroujima once was, everyone knew that today they would know the truth. And they were right. Thanks to Mavis's guidance, they found their missing friends one by one. Until there was only one person left to find.

The first one to ask that question was Laki.

"Where is Lucy?"

To this none answered. Their gazes full of hurt and sorrow fell to the ground. Minutes of silence spoke for themselves.

It was broken by Mavis. "She is not here." She knew her next words would greatly hurt them. "I cannot even tell whether she is still alive. That shouldn't be possible since she bears the mark of Fairy Tail but I cannot detect her."

At this, Natsu balled his fists and punched the ground. "Dammit, Dammit, DAMMIT!" Each word was followed by one punch, until his fists were cloaked by blood.

Sobbing Levy approached Natsu and gently placed her hand on his shaking shoulder. He didn't look up. "Why? Why did she leave the barrier?" his voice was never this full of hurt. Not even when he was telling someone about how Igneel had left him. All of his friends winced. They too wanted to know.

"She knew." spoke Mavis, willing to give them an answer to question they did not expect to be answered.

With stronger voice now, Mavis repeated. "She knew. She knew what I wanted to do. She knew there was not enough time for me to convert your bond into magic power and create barrier. She decided to sacrifice herself to give me enough time... And she managed to do so. Without her..."

Now that the fire mage knew why, he wasn't mad at her anymore. He was mad at himself. Why? He did not know. Somewhere deep inside he felt that he could have done something to help, to prevent her from sacrificing herself.

Levy, as though reading his thoughts through their touch, let go of his shoulder, lifted his chin, so that he was looking at her and slapped him hard. Stunned silence followed. Levy NEVER resulted to violence and even when she did, it was always using magic, not physical touch. "DO YOU THINK SHE WOULD WANT YOU TO BLAME YOURSELF FOR IT? She did it so that we could go on and live! You, as her teammate should know that the best..." she whispered trying to hold back her sobs.

When she finally stopped shaking, she looked at everyone and decided to tell them her theory. "Mavis said that she couldn't tell whether Lucy is alive. But that doesn't mean that she really is..." she couldn't bring herself to say the word. "I refuse to give up hope. Lucy is my best friend so I know her very well. I'm sure she had some kind of plan when she left the circle. Lucy would never willingly leave Fairy Tail. Never. We are her family..."

"I also think so." said gently smiling Erza while patting Levy proudly on the back. "That's why we have to know what she told you." said Titania turning to the pink haired dragon slayer.

_They're right. _thought Natsu. _She would never leave the guild. She would never leave ME... _

Once again fully recovered Natsu stood up. Now he has a goal. And he knows where to start.


	3. Light in Darkness

**__Author's Note: **So, I know this isn't typical of me... I promised myself to release one chappie each week during weekend... Oh man, screw it (told it's rated T just in case xD ). I know this is kinda boring, but it's essential to the story, so please just bear with me. *puppy eyes*

_****_**Chapter 3: ****Light in Darkness**

_**A week later at the guild**_

This whole past week no one has dared to interrupt Levy in her study of Natsu's mysterious tattoo, but everyone was itching to hear what she found out about it. After all, if they find out how Lucy knew where Igneel is (if he really is there), then they could find some kind of clue to her current location... So it was no surprise that the one who did ask was the boldest member of the guild – Natsu.

"So Levy, you found out anything?"

"Yeah... This tattoo is unlike anything I've ever seen." she rubbed her tired eyes and looked up at Natsu towering above her table. "Where to start... Well it was created by magic, we all have seen that. But unlike other tattoos created by magic, this one is also storing magic of its own instead of becoming a mere ink. That would mean that it's principle is very similar to the guild marks." She glanced down at her own Fairy Tail mark. "I think there is some reason that is so."

Natsu was trying really hard to understand what she meant by that, but the meaning just wouldn't come to him.

Levy sighed. "That means that it has some kind of a function besides it being a written text." Now the fire mage was grinning like an idiot and nodding. She really hoped he understood.

"Now let's go to the text. There are three layers of text in that tattoo. It was really hard to figure that out because each layer is written with the same colour, but once you insert the right amount and kind of magic power into it, you can see the layers perfectly. I'm sure you remember the way it shone when I used fire magic on it... ." Again that grinning nod.

"Each layer consists of one sentence. The first one is **'**_Water goddess is always waiting for her love, captured she is by the Fire god's wrath._' This one was hard to read because it was written in one of the almost forgotten ancient languages... I'm sure that it is supposed to tell us where we ought to go... There are three persons mentioned: Water goddess, her love and Fire god. So I looked up folk tales of people who used to write in this language and found out that it was commonly used only in three fourths of Fiore. That would be quite a large area to cover so I investigated the tales some more and found something incredibly helpful. Gods in folk tales of these people weren't representations of the elements, but places!" chirped Levy excitedly. Natsu was starting to look as if he was beaten to death by Erza. "All in all, the Water goddess was representation of the biggest river in Fiore – Valeeca. Fire god represented the biggest mountains of volcanic origin – Roisens and lover of water goddess was Air god, who represents nothing else than the highest peak in Fiore – Poage. All of these are in south-western part of Fiore and they meet at five places." Now it was Levy's turn to grin. But when she looked up from the map she was using to show Natsu where they were headed, she found out that he was long since lying on the floor soulless from unexpected amount of information he received.

"What about the other two layers?" asked now hyped up Gray who heard the whole conversation since he was sitting at the table next to hers. Levy paled a bit. "Second is _'Otherworldly stars to the ground fall, grounds up to the skies go._' I really don't like this one. It's weird if you think about it. Apart from the word otherworldly, which could be there just to mislead the reader, there is another disturbing fact - that the ground and skies changed places. It means that the place where we will find Igneel is utterly different from everything we know, so I think it means that we'll have to cross over to another world..." "Like we went to Edolas." said Gray thoughtfully and Levy nodded.

"The third was the easiest one to decipher. '_Life of the light shall watch over you, once you back down darkness will await you.' _It could mean that when the tattoo lights up, we are near our destination. The darkness bothers me, but I can't think of anything right now. I also suspect that the light will protect and help us along the way since it says that it will watch over us..." Now everyone at the guild shivered. What kind of world will it be, if it says that they will also need help from a tattoo?

Two hours later when the fire mage woke up, Team Natsu and Team Levy finally decided on a date they would leave Magnolia in search of Igneel and (hopefully) Lucy.


	4. Dark Mirror

**Author's Note: **Yuuki-desu! I just wanted to inform you of few things... From now on, I'll try to upload one chappie a week, of course since it's summer holidays and I've got a part-time job I won't have much time... Also, don't expect any chappies from 7th 'till 23rd of July. I'm going to Croatia. I'm truly sorry about that. I promise the next chapter will make up for the wait... That's about it, enjoy!

**Chapter 4: Dark Mirror**

Somewhere in a darkness someone's conciousness stirred. Tiredly, the mysterious person opened her eyes. She felt like she slept for ages.

_Something is wrong._ For this to be her first thought after such a satisfying sleep, something had to be horribly wrong. After a while she opened her mouth, letting out words full of confusion.

"How? Why?" echoed in the cave. Only silence answered, so the speaker flit her arm through air, as if to shoo away panic that was starting to swell inside her. Now that her eyes got used to the darkness, she recognized the place.

_My cave... _That got the mysterious woman thinking. _I shouldn't be here. _She thought harder. _That day, I was leaving this place... Why am I here? _

While she was trying to remember what happened that day, week after she lost her second family, something caught her attention. Slowly, cautiously, she stood up and proceeded to make her way to the darkest corner of her past lair.

_Wait. I... STOOD UP? _It was true. She was standing on her own two legs. She was so shocked that her legs gave away and she fell to the floor.

Shaking, she did something she hasn't done in 17 years. _Now that I think about it, was it really 17 years?_ She blinked.. _I bet it's more now... _Yes, she now knew the reason why she felt like she slept for ages. That's because she indeed slept for a very long time. She just didn't know HOW long...

She outstretched her hand and blew on it. On each of her fingers appeared small black sphere. She concentrated more and the spheres gathered into one big dark ball of pulsing energy levitating in air by her palm. Slowly, she let her hand fall to her side.

As she was looking at it, the black sphere started spinning and changing until it was as thin as paper and had oval shape. It's surface was even darker than darkness around its creator.

She smiled to herself. _Who knew I would do this so soon after all the time I spent on searching for a way to forget... _

She took a deep breath and gazed into the dark window. At the beginning, only blurry shapes were visible but after a while and a bit of energy, surface of one of her greatest techniques, Dark Mirror, was clear as a day.

_Seems like the worlds are a bit more closer than they were years ago. _This bothered her. Once she saw two worlds crash into each other, resulting in destruction of both. Fortunately, no life forms were in either of them.

This Dark Mirror was made between the world she was in and Celestial Spirit world. She was sorry to intrude into one of her favourite worlds but she needed to borrow certain piece of their knowledge.

She was very careful to make it so that there was no one near. She didn't need any more problems and carelessly letting someone feel her magic power in a forbidden world would be a BIG problem.

A while passed 'till she recognized the sight before her. _Lucky! Got the place right. _She was now looking at an enormous clock tower, of which every inch was covered by clocks of different shapes and sizes. Each of these clocks showed different times and dates for different places, countries and even worlds. It would take normal human thousands of years to find the right clock. For her, it was a piece of cake.

She needed to know current date in Fiore. She wouldn't be able to forgive herself if she didn't at least know how much time has passed since THEN. _How much time has passed since I last saw HIM..._

With movements of her hand she was controlling the Dark Mirror. She loved that it was easy to manipulate...

When she finally found what she was looking for, the truth astonished her. She couldn't move. Not even avert her gaze. She was just staring at the little mahogany clock with delicate little irises carved on its sides.

_Six years, eleven months, twenty four days, thirteen hours and eight minutes. _She was repeating these numbers as if it was some kind of mantra. As if the amount of time she was asleep would change with her repeating it. But no matter how much she wished it, the time didn't change.

She felt mix of emotions. Shock, sorrow, hopelessness and many others she couldn't even identify. However the last one she could identify very well. Anger. Raw anger. She was furious.

_No way I could have slept for almost 7 years just like that. It's THEM. THEY did this to me! _ With that she jumped up, walked to the nearest wall and punched it. And again. Again, until she could finally admit to herself that under all the anger was hurt trust. _They knew how much it meant to me. And they just put me to sleep until my body was regenerated... _

She didn't feel like holding back her tears any longer. With long-lived beings like her, withheld emotions could make you go insane or even kill you. So she just cried out her pain until she fell asleep on the wet cave floor.

That night her dreams were peaceful. She dreamt of all the times she played with them, her beloved adoptive siblings, the ones who hurt her so much in present, as a kid.

Unknown to her, she started to smile.


	5. Fearful Silence

**Author's Note: **Yuuki~desu! I've decided to upload new chappie as a parting gift. I'm leaving for Croatia tomorrow, so don't expect any new chapters in next two weeks. Also, since I don't want to lose any readers I'll tell you a bit of a spoiler. In 2 to 4 chapters you will know what happened to Lucy and who she is :) Enjoy!

**Chapter 5: Fearful Silence**

There was no way he could escape his torment. It was after all impossible to travel all the way to Poage without going by train..

"Natsu, hold on!" cried Happy. They were already travelling for two hours. To reach the train station closest to Poage, they have to travel 5 more hours.

"Natsu-san, please bear with it just a bit more. Only few hours left." Chirped now worried Wendy. That got Natsu to stand up and run out of their wagon in order to empty his poor stomach.

Gray just smirked. He was long since used to this scene. Now that Troia was ineffective on the dragon slayer, there was no way to help him. He turned his gaze away from the door in which his pink haired teammate disappeared and decided to instead study their unexpected additive member, Gajeel.

Everyone was surprised to find out he wanted to come with them, but his reason was understandable. Gajeel wanted to obtain any information that would lead him to Metalicana even though he was denying it as best as he could. Gray could relate to that. If Ul was missing and not melted inside ocean, he would do the same.

Erza was just sitting there, staring outside the window, not looking at anything particular. She was like that ever since they found out seven years have passed. While she was in guild, she would pretend to be her cheerful self, but her eyes would often wander to a window. _I wonder what she's thinking about..._ thought Gray. When he realized his own thoughts, he shook his head in attempt to abandon them and followed Erza's example.

Everyone was acting almost like their usual selves. Well, everyone except Levy. Levy looked fine the whole time in guild, but ever since they got on the train she looked nervous, almost scared and now she was shivering a bit.

"Levy, are you alright?" asked very concerned Wendy. The person in question nodded her head, obviously lying. "Are you cold?" Levy knew that if she doesn't say anything, Wendy will get suspicious, but she just couldn't make herself say anything. She opened her mouth and a sob came out instead.

This caught even Erza's attention. "What's wrong Levy?" Levy thought about her options. She didn't feel like lying to them, but telling them truth would be embarrassing. Even so, she found herself saying how her feelings out loud. "I'm scared..." this was followed by another sob and her eyes were full of withheld tears. Jet and Droy started panicking. Their Levy-chan was starting to cry and they didn't know what to do.

"I'm scared... of dragons." she managed to say while tears rolled down her cheeks. "I know there is nothing to be scared of, I know that there are nice dragons like Igneel, Grandine and Metalicana. But every time I try to imagine them, I can only see Acnologia." she wailed the last word.

"There is nothing to be scared of." everyone's attention turned to the travel-sick mage whose return no one noticed. "Because we will protect you." said Natsu, showing them his well-known grin. Without thinking about it, Levy glanced at Gajeel, who just nodded in confirmation of fire mages's words. She blushed a bit at this. She trusted Gajeel and Natsu to keep their word.

Now that she calmed down a bit, she noticed something interesting. Natsu looked absolutely fine. No trace of his travel sickness and the tattoo on his right arm was glowing. It was almost unnoticeable glow, but it was there._ I bet it has something to do with Natsu feeling better._

Without thinking twice about it, she took Natsu's forearm and started studying it. She was really interested in how it healed his travel sickness, but she also needed something to take her mind away from the embarrassing scene that occurred just seconds ago.

Back in her professional mode, she started asking Natsu questions. "How do you feel?" Puzzled as to why she would ask, he thought about it. Realization hit him. "I feel good. Great, in fact. But how? I felt like I was dying just five minutes ago." She nodded her head in acknowledgement and continued her examination. "The third layer of text is glowing slightly. Mostly its outlines and they are getting brighter by seconds." Satisfied, she let go of his wrist and fell back to her seat.

Everyone was now looking at her with expectation in their eyes. "It means that we are getting closer to our destination, and so the tattoo is gaining strength from that. Also it seems like my theories of the meaning of the third line were right. The tattoo is protecting him, even from himself..." Silence that ensued was smothering. More than shocked, it was spiked with fear. No one wanted to admit it, but by now, the question hung in air like a nearing storm.

What exactly is Lucy?


	6. Goodbye, My Old Self

**Author's** **Note: ** Yuuki~desu! I'm back! Well, I know you people don't really care except for the fact that without me there won't be any more chappies... Whatever. This one is to celebrate my return. Enjoy! Oh, and don't forget to review!**  
**

**Chapter 6: Goodbye, my old self**

When she woke up this time, she felt relaxed. Now she knew where she was and what time it was.

After dreaming about her childhood days spent with her twin brother and three adoptive siblings, she was in a very forgiving mood but she would never forget, that she knew for sure. But her reminiscing of the past wasn't the only thing that made her forgive them. While she was sleeping, she had a vision. THEY were alive. She almost started crying but she managed to stop herself.

With such joyous thoughts swirling inside her head, she slowly sat up and waited until her eyes adjusted to the dark. Once she could see, she decided to make sure her appearance was presentable. Guided by her memory she made her way deeper into the cave while her only companions were her worries mixed with joy. She felt she wasn't ready to face her people she left 24 years ago but she just had to. She knew the best that there is no way to escape her destiny.

Finally, after walking for a few minutes that felt like eternity, she found what she was looking for. The thing that caught her attention from distance the first time she woke up – mirror.

She wasn't surprised at all to find that she still looked like 17-years old, beaten-up teenage girl. She just sighed. Her blond hair was absolute mess. Now that she had all her memories of her previous life, she decided that she hated her blond locks. Her eyes also looked pretty creepy. Her normally ordinary chocolate brown eyes now had cat-like pupils. Along with a thin white scar on her left cheek, only an inch from her eye, it made her face look eerie. Disappointed, she proceeded with her inspection.

It was time to scan her body. Body she was so proud of only seven years ago, was now by her standards too busty, which didn't look very attractive combined with countless scars from her blocking of Acnologia's attack. Right leg she lost in process had grown back during her unwanted sleep, but its skin was like baby's. Smooth and very gentle. As if in order to be in perfect contrast, her other leg was full of scars, of which the worst one went from her hip down to her knee. Even now, after the regeneration was complete, this scar remained pink and its ragged edges were easily visible.

She rembered having broken arms. She gulped down her fear of seeing them. She was scared they healed in a wrong way and that they are crooked. Fortunately, this was not the case. Only thin white lines decorated her forearms. She wasn't very happy when she saw them but she didn't mind them that much. _It could have been worse, I guess..._

Content with extent of her healing abilities, she decided to get rid of this sickening body. _I'll just transform into my original human form... _She clasped her palms together and rotated her hands until her fingertips faced the ground. Then ahe separated them. Threads of pulsing dark light appeared between her hands and started to extend and swirl around her whole body until almost every inch of her was covered by it.

She didn't want it to end just like that. She didn't want her other identity to disappear this way, so before her mouth was sealed shut, she breathed out words she prayed she never had to say. "Goodbye, Lucy Heartfillia."

After covering her, threads became one thick layer resembling dark sarcophagus with black, purple and deep blue swirls of energy moving on its surface. Suddenly, it started to give off bright white light. As it continued to shine, the sarcophagus was slowly dispersing like a mist, leaving behind person who used to be Lucy.

She was as tall as Lucy, but more slim. Also her skin was a tone lighter than Lucy's. Her hair was straight and white with numerous black highlights. Her eyes were violet and shimmered like crystals. Her pupils were still slit, but in its own mysterious way, it suited her perfectly. Unfortunately, all of her scars remained the same after her transformation so her cheek was still bearing the mark of pain.

Instead of her ripped clothes from Tenrou island, she was now wearing violet long sleeved medieval looking blouse with rectangular neckline and decorated by black laces; black cycling shorts, black and white striped thigh highs and knee high purple converses. As for jewellery, she was wearing big onyx ankh with amethyst in its centre, on silver chain. Her earrings had the shape of small silver ankhs. Her hands were covered by black combat fingerless gloves.

_Back to my good old body._ This was the second time in seven years that she smiled. She felt all of her magic power returning and as a result her body was so light that she started floating in the air.

She was sure at least some of her people felt this return of magic power and her transformation so she was just wondering who would be the first to come check on her. She smirked at the thought.

_Everything is how it is supposed to be..._ Right at that moment, she heard a frantic voice calling her name. Name, by which she hadn't been called in a very long time.

"Luciana!"


	7. My duty

**Author's Note: **Yuuki~desu! I'd like to apologize for taking so long to update the story, but I had some family issues... I rewrote this chapter four times and decided this was the best version so far and that it won't get any better. Also, since Luciana has been introduced in previous chapter, I've decided to start writing from her POV. (I was trying to write the same way as before, but no matter what I did, I couldn't get past ten lines... *Sigh* ) Well, enjoy!

**Chapter 7: My duty**

"Luciana!"

Upon hearing my name, I flinched. _I really don't want to do this..._

After a few moments of silence, I could hear the woman's growling which was full of worry and anger. Anger, I knew, was caused by barrier I set up outside my lair. It must have activated when I regained my true form and now it was keeping her outside and she didn't seem to understand her effort to break through it was only a waste of time.

_No choice now. If I don't get out soon, she'll contact everyone. _If possible, I wanted to appear before them willingly, not because they thought I was hurt and destroyed the whole place in order to save me...

I turned around and began to make my way towards the cave's entrance. Again, it felt like eternity followed by pain wince the light was burning my eyes with increased intensity as I proceeded. I actually found myself thinking about what would happen if I just returned to the peaceful darkness. I longingly looked back inside and had to shake my head to get rid of the thought. _Seems like I turned into a coward... _That possibility bothered me so much I made myself continue.

When I finally got out of the underground, I was blinded by the rays of intensively bright light. Blinking helped, but not much. At that moment I was thankful for my other senses. Without them, I would be absolutely helpless.

One of my senses seemed to work extraordinarily well since I could feel the woman's gaze on me as she was checking my body for any injuries. Satisfied, she let out a puff of smoke and spoke to me: "Seems like you have finally decided to rejoin us, onee-sama." I ignored rudeness hidden behind her statement and instead came closer to her.

Unfortunately, my eyes still stung and I forgot what I was about to say to her. She must have noticed my problem, because a second later, her healing magic enveloped me. It felt like a cool water against my eyes and I let out a delighted sigh. I could swear I even smelled lilies. As her magic began subsiding I opened my healed eyes and looked at her. "Thank you, Grandine."

I've decided to give her a hug, which proved to be a little difficult. _How do you hug a dragon? _I pondered over that for a few seconds and shrugged. I came up to her enormous light blue head with big forest green eyes which were now in the same height as mine and hugged her nose. It was awkward, but I was sure the intent got through as she made a deep rumbling sound - dragon equivalent of a giggle.

"I'm glad to see you haven't changed a bit. Still doing what you want, aren't you, onee-sama..." I rewarded her with a big grin. She was right, I always did what I wanted. Though one thing she didn't know was that I always thought of consequences. But this time was different. Living as a human girl named 'Lucy' had taught me many things and one of them was to express my feelings freely, not counting on the fact I will have the luxury to do it later.

I was glad that this moment deepened my bond with my favourite stepsister, but there were other pressing matters at hand. "Where are the others?" Grandine frowned. "I was the only one close enough to the cave to feel that surge of power. I'm sure they would all come if they had felt it." _Well, at least I know they're not ignoring me on purpose. "_Should I call them?" I just looked at her and thought about it. _I have to inform them of my return and also about guests that will come very soon. _

After a moment of silence I told her my opinion on her suggestion. "I don't think that's a good idea. If I were to command them the first thing after my return, they might get annoyed." _And annoyed dragons are dangerous dragons,_I added silently. "I'll just go to the Wolds of Origin and let them feel my presence. Hopefully, they will come. But before that I'd like to check the portals, so you may go ahead." She nodded in agreement and with one swing of her wings, rose into the air and then disappeared into the distance.

Now that I was alone, I had enough time to look around me. I was standing in the middle of a rocky plain that marked the entrance to my resting place. In the distance I could see volcanoes that were endlessly gushing lava the same way they had when I was here 24 years ago. On the right side of them was a forest overshadowed by a huge cloud that was floating in one place without moving an inch. On the left side of volcanoes was a giant lake supplied by water of countless rivers. Even from here it was clear that the water was pure, void of any human contamination. The lake was enclosed by a mountain that seemed to be shining because it was made of iron ore and therefore reflected light. And behind all of it stretched the Wolds. They weren't visible, but I knew they were there. Sadly, it was all I could see from where I was standing.

Remembering what I was supposed to do, I walked to the edge of the abyss that stretched beneath me.

_This is the world I created and I shall protect it. _Then I jumped.


	8. Searching For You

**Author's Note: **Yuuki~desu! So guys, I bet you hadn't expected me to update so soon... :D I just hope you have recovered enough from finding out about Grandine's and Luciana's relationship to concentrate on this chapter. Nyahaha. You know, I have some more astonishing facts prepared for you so try to keep it together, okay? **P.S. I forgot to tell you guys that I will be gone for another two weeks. But I promise you that the Chapter 9 will be twice as long as 8, Okay?** Now, enjoy!

**Chapter 8: Searching For You...**

"Waaah, finally on a solid ground!" cried out grinning pink haired dragon slayer. "But Natsu, you weren't even travel sick the last five hours we spent on train." protested Happy. "But it's not the same, ya know?" Everyone just sighed. They really didn't understand how he can be so happy to get out of the train, since all he did after the tattoo took effect, was running around and enjoying the ride as if he was a 5-years old kid.

Gray just shook his head and turned to Levy. "So what are we going to do now?" "Well.. I think we should first find an inn to settle down in case we won't find anything the first day and will have to spend the night in village. Also it would be wise to eat something." It wasn't such a bad idea, so everyone agreed.

After they found lodging and managed to get something to eat, they all gathered in one of the rooms to discuss their strategy. Without even being asked to, Levy brought out a map and started explaining. "Okay. As I've told you before, there are five places that fit the riddle on Natsu's arm." She pointed at already red marked areas on the map and everyone nodded. "Here's where it becomes complicated. Normally, it would be faster to split into groups and go take a look at all of the places at the same time, but that's impossible in our case. Even if one of us found the right place, they would not know it unless Natsu was in their group. That tattoo is the only thing that can determine whether we have truly arrived at our destination, so I suggest we all go as one big search party. It might take us longer, but we have no other choice."

"Damn, that will take ages!" growled Natsu. "Can't I and Happy just go ahead alone?"

Levy was quick to answer him. "No. It's dangerous. We don't know what might happen. What if, for example, the tattoo sucked you into the other world? You'd be there alone." Gently, she added "Trust me, it's better to stay together." She gave him a sympathetic look and turned to the others. "Any other suggestions?"

After a minute of utter silence, Erza sighed. "No other choice then." Her face turned serious as she spoke her next command. "Go get ready. We shall begin our search right now." with that, she turned around and left the room to get some things she considered necessary for their upcoming mission.

Titania's return of character was so stunning that no one moved for a long time even though they knew they had to get ready. The first one to snap out of it was Gajeel, who headed straight for his room, planning on munching on some iron. Levy left shortly after him carrying her map proudly. It wasn't long before others followed their suit.

* * *

Ready as much as they could be, Fairy Tail members set out on their journey. Unsurprisingly, the one who planned their course was no one else than their blue haired strategist. And Levy did so magnificently. If it weren't for her, the whole search might take two days. After her adjustments it would at most take 15 hours if their destination would be the last place they were supposed to check. Of course, depending on the weather and their luck, it could as well be only 4 hours.

* * *

The Poage mountain was very steep so it was no surprise everyone was tired by the time they got to their first stop. Ignoring tiredness they felt after constant four hours walk, they held their breaths in anticipation, while their gazes rested on Natsu's forearm. There was no shocking change in its glow only that it intensified a bit. Also, nothing has changed in their surroundings so they had to admit this wasn't the right place and went on to the next spot.

Second place they checked proved to be as much of a disappointment as the first was and the two hours they walked in order to get there only added to their exhaustion.

However the third spot was special.

As soon as they reached the appointed meadow through which ran the biggest river in Fiore, Natsu's arm started to itch and light the tattoo was emitting was blinding. Suddenly, third line peeled off of his skin and was now miraculously floating in the air at centre of circle, which Fairy Tail members formed around their teammate. Slowly, it caught on fire until the words were no longer decipherable even by Levy. As it died down, the smoke went back to Salamander and started spiralling around the remaining lines. As if the third line had called out to it, second line merged with the smoke and changed its colour to violet. Then the mysterious mixture started expanding until it surrounded all the other members of the search party.

By now, Wendy's eyes were as wide as table tennis balls, Levy inched closer to Gajeel without even noticing it herself, Erza had a sword in her hand, ready to strike any time and Gray was already without his shorts, standing in a combat position. Other's reactions weren't as notable because they were all shivering, unable to move even an inch.

In an instant, violet smoke changed into a barrier, protecting them all from enemy no one has noticed. Confused, they looked around, only to see enormous and unpleasantly familiar shape shoot out of the shadows on the edge of the meadow. When it reached them, it struck at the barrier with all of its force. Barrier, however, withstood the attack. "Impossible!" cried weakly Erza. "How can it be?" whispered Wendy. "No, no, no, NOOOO!" shrieked Levy while her knees gave in and she fell to the ground. "YOU!" shouted enraged fire dragon slayer as he ran into the barrier, only to be pushed back inside. He refused to give up and was now punching the slightly violet barrier.

Then, after the tenth outside attack, the barrier shattered and Acnologia lunged for them.


	9. Troubled Welcome

**Author's Note:** Yuuki~desu! I felt bad about forgetting to tell you I would be leaving for another vacations, so I've decided to upload this chapter as a 'I'm reeeeeally sorry' gift. I will be away for ten days, but don't worry, as soon as I come back, I'll update. That's about it. Enjoy!

**Chapter 9: Troubled Welcome**

Usually, I don't jump off the cliff in my human form, but I impulsively thought it might be exciting, so I did it.

_I might be an idiot..._ Really, why is it that I keep having these unsettling (and unfortunately mostly truthful) thoughts today? I would have sighed if it weren't for the wind whipping my face.

I opened my eyes and squinted to see how high I exactly am. Despite how it may seem, I don't plan on killing myself. So after I made sure I still had enough time to let the free fall continue, I let myself submerge into my inner thoughts.

I thought it wise to start from the moment I abandoned my old identity.

I was in one of my true forms, which was both good and bad. Good because along with it I gained enough strength, confidence and knowledge to protect my beloved ones. Bad, because at the same time, my responsibilities (along with number of my beloved ones) grew astronomically.

But that was only tip of the iceberg.

There were more detailed problems going hand in hand with my transformation. For example, that dream vision I had earlier that told me Fairy Tail members were sitting in a train and on their way to this realm. It wasn't hard to guess they weren't only looking for Igneel. That tattoo I gave Natsu was also a clue to find _me_. If no one else, Levy must have surely thought of that. Not like I intended for them to think of that possibility...

After thinking of our future and inevitable meeting, I realized one important thing._ I just can't let them know I'm Lucy. _No matter how much I wished it was otherwise, it wouldn't change. If I told them who I was, they either wouldn't believe me or would try to make me come back to Magnolia with them.

I frowned. I was lying to myself. There were other, really miserable outcomes. I didn't want to think of them, but lying wasn't going to prevent them from actually coming true. They could come to hate me. Hate me for not telling them truth about myself (which, frankly, even I didn't know at that time); hate me for keeping from them location of dragons; hate me for not protecting them better from Acnologia; hate me because of my blood relative... I couldn't bear to think of any more reasons so I considered other possibilities.

The Magic Council might find out about me and then there would be hell to pay. Endangering myself would also mean endangering people I swore to protect. The Council would, without doubt, be very interested in existence of my people and me. They would stop at nothing to find out as much they could and even try to use us to their convenience. I shivered.

That was the moment to ask myself the big question. _Am I capable of abandoning my best friends to protect people who don't care about me, despite living with them for the last 3000 years? _I chickened out - I've decided not to answer. Better said, I still haven't found the _righ_t answer.

My thinking was interrupted by a persistent thought that wouldn't leave me alone. _What is it? … _Then it hit me._ I'm still falling down! _I quickly opened my eyes. _Shit. _The ground was closer than I hoped. While sending a silent prayer to whichever god listened, I transformed. I was furiously flapping my wings to avoid becoming a bloody pancake and somehow managed to save my ass.

My heart was beating frantically and didn't seem to plan on stopping any time soon. I started whipping my tail angrily in air to get rid of the adrenaline and after a few minutes, I was relatively calm. Of course, flapping my wings helped considerably.

I let out a satisfied low growl and continued on my way to the portals.

There are only two portals that lead into this world. I wouldn't even think twice about betting my life on it, since I was the one who created this realm.

Portals were normally the size of a human even though none of the humans were allowed to enter, and the portals were invisible. They weren't closed down permanently for one simple reason – to serve as emergency escape routes.

To make sure no one unwanted got in or any one left without my permission, I had to give permission for someone to pass through.. Only then would the portal open. That way I could protect my people even from themselves.

_And they hate me for it. _I ignored the thought and continued my journey to check the portals.

I landed elegantly on ground near the first portal. It looked alright, though it was waning a bit from the lack of magical energy. I suspected as much, that's why I've decided to check on them. After I was fatally wounded by Acnologia's roar, I unintentionally sucked out magical energy of portals. It was part of my survival instinct and I was angry at myself for it. It had severe side effects on the portals. They opened enough for my siblings to go through and find me floating in the ocean. That meant one important thing - portals at that time were broken. I was glad to find that my regeneration also meant their regeneration. The last thing I wanted was to leave this world vulnerable and open to trespassers.

I let my magic power flow to the portal until it regained its previous shape. Fortunately, I didn't have to use much of it, so I was done within 5 minutes and took off to check on another portal.

Second portal was on the other side of this world, which meant at least 6 hours of flying at my full speed. When I finally got there, I almost overlooked the portal. It was in such a bad shape that the human world on the other side wasn't even visible. _This one will be more of a hassle to repair... _It took me long 20 minutes to stabilize the portal and get it into its original form.

When I was finished, I started wondering what was Grandine doing in the Wolds. After all, it had been 6 hours and 27 minutes since I last saw her and told her to go there ahead of me. _I bet she's dying of boredom.. _I smirked, then took off towards the meeting place.

Much to my dismay, it seemed like Grandine found something meaningful to do while I was gone. She gathered everyone around large crystal throne in the middle of Wolds of Origin. _Even though I told her not to... _There was no way helping it now and I just couldn't turn around and leave so instead, I landed right in front of the throne, turned to see everyone's faces and was relieved to see approval in them. Then I looked back to the big piece of crystal, walked up to it and slowly sat down on it. I was now in my rightful place – the Throne of Truth.

Suddenly all around me erupted cheers. Confused and more than little surprised I found out that I was the cause of it. _They are cheering because I have returned. _flashed through my mind. _They are welcoming me. Even after I left them, they still accept me. _Tears were now forming in my eyes and started to roll down my cheeks. After seeing my reaction, they all went quiet and were now grinning at me, understanding written all over their graceful lizard-like faces. It took me a while to suppress my emotions, but I managed.

"Thank you all for welcoming me back so whole heartedly. I really didn't expect you to be glad to see me. You even made me cry!" that made the dragon audience laugh. I grinned and continued.

"Really, guys, sometimes you are so unpredictable..." "Says the Dragon of Fate!" one of them shouted and made them all giggle in a dragon way. I childishly stuck out my tongue at the dragon who said it and addressed him. "You want me to predict your future, Sirial?" I could see him gulp and shake his head in a way that unmistakably said 'no'. I ignored it and dramatically closed my eyes. "I can see it. I can see that your future will be full of painful experiences." I peeked at him and was satisfied to see him paling considerably. Oh, but I wasn't finished yet. "Your life from now on, will be full of physical pain and suffering," I took a big breath, "if you don't stop making fun of your Queen!" I opened my eyes and laughed at his stunned expression. _You get what you deserve. _

It took a while for the dragons to quiet down, but I didn't mind. _If I had known it would be this lovely when I return, I would have left long ago... _Really thinking about their attitude towards me 25 years ago made me a bit depressed._  
_

Some of my thoughts must have shown on my face because everyone was now peering at me with serious expressions. I smiled at them to let them know I was fine and slowly let my expression mirror theirs. Now, they were waiting for me to begin. "I have gathered you all before me for a reason. I have come to tell you I've decided to once again uptake the task of a Guardian and Queen of the Dragon Race. That's why I ask of you, people of the Dragon Race, are you willing to accept me as you ruler once again?" With that question, I handed my future into their hands. I knew that technically, they couldn't take away my title as the Queen because it was given to a dragon with extraordinary intelligence and power, but they could make it so that they were watching my every step.

I didn't dare to even blink. The tension was becoming unbearable when suddenly, all of them lowered their heads to the ground, accepting my authority over them. "Thank you." I whispered, my voice shaking.

I took a few cleansing breaths and made myself continue my speech. "Most of you, I suspect, know where I was these past 24 years. I am not going to hide anything of that 24 years from you and I am willing to answer any of your questions regarding that part of my life, but there is something you must know before that." I could almost feel mischievous thoughts forming in some of the dragons's heads when I mentioned that 'willing to answer any questions' part, but they quickly faded when I finished my statement.

Attention they were giving me now was more than a bit uncomfortable but I had to deal with it. "Seven years ago, I gave one of the humans I ultimately trust, a clue how to find this world as a gift for his endless friendship. Then today, I had a vision. I saw him and his nine friends making their way here. In fact, they should be here-" I didn't finish my sentence. I just flew off the throne as fast as I could and used Dark Passage to teleport me to the second portal as if my life depended on it. In truth, it wasn't MY life that depended on it. It were THEIR lives that were in danger.


	10. Twins Of Chaos

**Author's Note****: **Yuuki~desu! Hi guys, I'm baaack! You missed me? (Don't answer...) Anyway, I'm sorry for travelling around and I reeeally would like to tell you I won't leave anymore, but I can't promise you that. It is highly possible I will leave again on Tuesday for a week. That's why I'll be updating the story more frequently in the following days. Now, enjoy!

**Chapter 10: Twins Of Chaos**

I left the meeting for a very good reason. Good enough to breach every etiquette rule.

I felt the tattoo coming into contact with portal, but nothing else, meaning they haven't passed through it. Moment later I felt that mark take on defensive stance. That was what got me alarmed enough to ignore good manners and leave in mid-sentence.

Now that I was standing before the second portal, opening it in a hurry, I knew why the tattoo thought something was wrong and decided to protect its host and everyone else in its vicinity. There was no mistake about it – Acnologia was attacking the Fairy Tail members. I should have known he would find the portals when I was on the verge of death. I practically served him those kids on a silver plate!

I jumped through the portal at the same second the barrier shattered. I saw Natsu taking advantage of that surprising moment and standing up to attack the dark blue dragon. _He won't make it... _Dragons may be bigger than humans, but their movements and reflexes are much faster than one would expect.

I managed to sweep Natsu off the ground with my tail, rising him into air and out of the dragon's reach at the last second.

Unfortunately I wasn't as lucky as him. Acnologia's fangs sunk into my right front leg. I growled out my pain spiked with anger at the enemy dragon, and aimed my fangs right at the back of his neck. I only managed to scratch it when he withdrew.

He started sizing me up, trying to guess just how tough I am. I, on the other side was trying to think of a way to get out of this situation. Under normal circumstances, I would be more than delighted to fight the Dragon of Chaos and finally rid this world of his dangerous existence, but here I had 10 people I had to protect, I was hurt, and as if that wasn't enough, Natsu was trying to burn my tail off. I did my best to ignore the gnawing pain of his attempts to get free and concentrate on the matter of getting all those humans to safety.

While my gaze never left Acnologia, I could feel uncertainty looming over humans standing behind me. They didn't know whether they could trust me or not. _Why is it always so complicated?! _ I couldn't blame them though. My dragon form looked very similar to Acnologia. The biggest difference between us was that I was white with violet ornaments on my back, while he was midnight blue with azure markings. I also had glinting black claws and violet eyes highlighted by black scales. Metalicana once told me it looked as if I was wearing a black eye-liner and I had to agree.

Then I thought of something. "_Wendy, can you hear me?" _I was trying to speak to her using telepathy, which wasn't one of my top skills. I really didn't want to think about what I was going to do if she couldn't hear me...

Acnologia's eyes now mirrored confidence. He would attack really soon.

"Y-yes." stuttered the little blue-haired dragon slayer. I let out a relieved sigh.

"_Good, now I am going to tell you what to do so that we all get out of this alive."_ "I-I am listening." _"I will put Natsu down on the ground right by Gajeel. Make sure he doesn't try to attack Acnologia again. Then, when I tell you to, take everyone with you and run to that big rock by the river. Can you see it?" _There was only one rock by the riverside but I had to make sure she knew where it was.

"Yes." I grinned inwardly at the determination I heard in her voice. _"That's the portal. I will do my best to buy you one minute so that you can tell everyone to follow you when I say so." _"Thank you." I nodded my head and took one small step toward my evil twin brother.

"How long have you been camping out here?"I asked him angrily and was relieved to hear the Wendy's hurried murmuring behind me. He just snorted and continued pacing like a lion. "You don't even speak to me... Is that how much you treasure the time we spent together, Ace-niisan?"I hated hurt I could hear in my voice, but it effectively caught his attention. He let a low warning growl and glanced meaningfully at Natsu, whom I was still holding with my now blackened and aching tail. "You know I am against your killing any humans at all and now you expect me to just hand over my friends?" (I was really glad that the only one who could understand what I said was Wendy. Her, I could persuade to keep it to herself. Though it was the least of my problems now.)

Silence told me that Wendy has finished her explaining. Just as well.

I lowered my tail beside the iron dragon slayer and put Natsu on the ground. _"Now, Wendy!"_ she didn't hesitate one second as she took off to the direction of the portal with the others right behind her. At the same moment, Acnologia jumped forward trying to go around me and get to the small figures I was doing my best to protect.

"Over my dead body!"I shouted and clawed at him. He turned back to me and his eyes glinted dangerously before he used the Sky Dragon's Roar at me. I blocked it with the Fate Barrier I created in a hurry and when the wind quieted down, he wasn't there anymore. I stupidly turned to the portal even though I knew Natsu (who had to be dragged by Gajeel and Erza) and the others passed through it long before my twin brother let out that last attack.

Then I turned to look at the sky. He was too far for me to follow him even if I wanted to, so I just limped back to the portal.


	11. Guilty Liar

**Author's Note:** Yuuki~desu! I told you I would update soon, didn't I? :D**  
**

**Chapter 11: Guilty Liar**

When I was passing through the portal, I knew something went wrong with the 'fairies'.

I sure hoped that Natsu wasn't attacking any of the dragons on the other side. Even my Queen title wouldn't be enough to protect him as my guest if he did.

The same second I finally entered the dragon realm, Wendy called out to me. "Dragon-san! Are you all right?" Her gaze slipped to my wounded leg. "I'm ok. Don't worry, the leg will heal." I smiled at her. Unfortunately, smiling meant revealing my sharp teeth, at which she gasped a little. _Surely, she wouldn't even notice them if I was Grandine..._

Hurt a little by her reaction, I turned away from her to examine the situation. Fairy Tail members (except Wendy who was now standing by my side) were surrounded by a group of dragons. From angry words of my brethren, I understood that they are suspecting the mages of hurting me. _You guys are overprotective._

"Step back everyone." I ordered them and they had no other choice but to do as I said.

I went to stand by the humans. The second I approached them, Natsu was trying to jump at me. Fortunately Gajeel had enough sense and restrained him in time. _Well, seems like my earlier stunt with the tail made him angry... _I turned away from the furious fire mage.

"These are my guests. The ones I was trying to tell you about.." "So you are going to accept these filthy humans who hurt you as your guests? We know you have soft heart and we admire you for it, but this is unacceptable!" cried Edaram, the Dragon of Earth. _Soft heart? Where did that one come from?_

"Are you trying to say I, your Queen, would be hurt like this by humans? Is that how much you trust my abilities? Trust ME? Moreover, if you look closely, you can see fang marks! Do you understand now?" I was overreacting but I had to make it clear to them. Also, I was desperate to turn their attention to the claw marks, hoping they wouldn't notice my tail. If they did, Natsu wouldn't live to see another day.

"Acnologia." several of them whispered. I nodded and glanced at the humans. They seemed confused. Well, of course they did, they didn't understand a word we said. I just sighed and took on my human form.

"Welcome, humans. I know why you are here." I took in their flabbergasted expressions and tried my best not to grin. _Geez, how could I not know? I was the one who sent you here..._ "You are free to stay here as long as you want to. If you have any questions, don't hesitate to ask me."

"Who the hell are you?" asked me Natsu right off the bat, killer look in his eyes not leaving his face for a second. I put on a mocking smile and answered. "Luciana. Queen of the Dragons and owner of everything you see in this world." That shut him up.

Erza, shaking nervously, took a step towards me and started expected introductions. "I am-" "I know who you are, Titania. I know all of you." I gave them a sweet, innocent smile and wondered what would be their next step. Then I the realized they were too shocked to do anything else than stare at me.

_Now I did it. This is becoming more of a one man act... _I sighed and started explaining, which meant telling them half-truths. "I'm a Dragon of Fate." _Truth. "_I can see future." _Truth. "_ That's why I know who you are and why you came." _Absolute lie. _

They relaxed visibly. "Then, Luciana-san, can you take us to Igneel-san?" asked ever-so-polite Wendy.

"Of course. But wouldn't you rather like to see Grandine, Wendy-san?" "Grandine is here too?" Her eyes widened in surprise. I nodded. "And I can see her?" "Of course you can, sweetie." Without looking behind me I softly called out the Sky Dragon's name.

I felt her lilly scent even before she reached us and I went to stand before Wendy. "Did you call, onee-sama?" she asked kindly, landing behind me. I faced the light blue dragon, still effectively blocking her view of the blue-haired girl. The wind was in my favour. It was blowing Wendy's smell away from my stepsister. "Yes. There is someone who would like to see you, Grandine." With that, I stepped aside in a grand revelation style. The dragon took in a sharp breath and stood frozen in her place. Wendy, on the other hand, started crying and went to hug her adoptive mother in a very similar way I had, when I came out of the cave.

I didn't call Grandine out to meet Wendy out of the kindness of my heart. And I also didn't do it to make the Fairy Tail members forget about their purpose here. I did it because both of them were scarred by their early separation and I felt guilty for that. I was the one who ordered the dragons to move into this realm...

Guilt is another of those emotions that can kill a dragon. _Right, I'm doing it for myself. _Something inside my mind whispered a very ugly word to me: _Liar._

I tore my eyes away from the sweet scene to look for my next targets.

"Natsu, Gajeel, please follow me." I reconsidered my words and added: "Others can come too, if they want to." That's how the whole party (along with Grandine carrying Wendy on her head) ended up coming with me. Luckily, my right arm was healing rapidly and that was the only reason the other dragons didn't follow me. _They are too overprotective, _I thought again.

Much to my dismay, Natsu still didn't trust me and the only reason he actually followed me was because Levy made him. So now he was watching my back the whole way, ready to strike the moment I did something suspicious.

_It really hurts, you know, Natsu... Being hated by the one you care about the most..._ I did my best to hold back my tears. Then I remembered my decision to be as indifferent to my friends as I could.

_I gave up on him. No, on ALL of them, so why should I care?_ Now that was a mental slap. Yeah sure, that's what I logically wanted to really think, but it still made me stop for a second. And that made the pink-haired mage tense.

Realizing that, I shook my head and continued to make my way to the iron mountain, abandoning the subject of my feelings towards people from my past life altogether. At least that's what I intended to do.


	12. Iron Way

**Author's Note:** Yuuki~desu! So like I promised, here is another chapter. It may seem a bit uneventful but is essential none the less. Since this chappie is pretty short, I'm uploading another one in about 30 mintes. Look forward to it and don't forget to Review!**  
**

**Chapter 12: Iron Way_  
_**

_I can't take this anymore!_

Days of walking for hours to get to my destination were long since over for me, but here I was, crawling up the iron mountain along with the Fairy Tail members. It took us 7 hours to reach it by feet_. _

_If only I could fly... _I glanced at the pinkette behind me and immediately erased that thought. _Yeah, thanks Natsu. Just because you're paranoid, we have to travel extra 7 hours. _I would love to use Dark Passage but I knew the fire mage just wouldn't get in. And I couldn't transform and take them to Metalicana's place on my back for the exactly same reason.

Again, I gave Natsu an irritated look, which turned out to be a mistake. My hand slipped and I went down the mountain.

_I've had enough! _I let claws grow out of my fingers and used them to stop my fall.

"Luciana-san!" cried worried Wendy. That just irritated me more. She was comfortably seated on Grandine's head, floating in air, not having to get her palms cut just to get to the cave near the peak of the damn mountain.

_I'm a dragon, not a snake, goddamit! _I concentrated big dose of my magical power on my back and made my dragon wings sprout out of it. They were beautiful snow-white colour with occasional violet scales, making me look a bit like angel. Not that I wanted to look like one. Angels are mischievous, snobbish and extremely egoistical creatures.

Still not letting go of the rock I was holding onto, I flapped my new wings a bit. Satisfied with how they worked, I rose into air and willed my claws to disappear.

Merging my human form with some parts of my dragon body was something I didn't do very often but it was like riding a bicycle. Once you learn it, you can never forget it. Not that anyone could confirm that theory. Apart from Acnologia, I am the only living dragon who has a human form. Not to mention that I can shift into it as much as I want to, without any side effects.

I flew to Natsu, opened a tiny Dark Mirror and reached into it, only to pull out a little white pouch with black ornaments out of it. The salmon haired mage was already burning up, unmistakably feeling I planned to do something to him. And he wasn't wrong.

I quickly opened the pouch, took a bit of a black dust in my hand and blew it right into his face. As it was reaching him, he tried to burn it down but with no success. Within seconds he was asleep and I had to catch him by his wrist, so that he didn't slide down the mountain.

"What did you do to him!" shouted Gray. _Who would have thought he would be the first one to be worried about Natsu?_

"I put him to sleep. He's the only reason why we're climbing this damn mountain instead of teleporting right into the cave." They couldn't deny that. I have offered to teleport us many times during our journey but Natsu would always butt in, forcing others to refuse.

"What was that dust?" Asked Levy instead. She was unbelievably sweaty and looked really worn out. She wasn't the type for physical work. _Stupid Natsu._

"Gardo mushroom spores mixed with powdered lavender flowers and a bit of Dream gemstone glitter." "Why the lavenders?" I gave her one of my brightest smiles. "For relaxation. Before I mixed them in, people would try to fight the sleepy effect. With it, they fall asleep right on the spot." "Makes sense." was the only thing she said.

I waited for Erza, who was nearest, to reach me and I handed Natsu to her. I felt more than a bit of regret when I did that. _I wish I could hold him a bit longer..._ Angry at myself for such a stupid longing, I turned opposite side of the peacefully sleeping fire dragon slayer and started opening the portal.

The process of creating the Dark Passage was very similar to that of Dark Mirror. But while the Dark Mirror opened silently and slowly, dark matter that would become the passage, expaned abruptly with booms and sounds distantly resembling thunders.

Basically the portal was a great rip in the dimensional net and everytime it had to breach one of the threads separating different worlds, there were explosions of a highly condensed magical power.

Nonetheless, it scared my audience. Thank the Great Will, Grandine was there with us. She managed to tell Wendy that all of those sounds and energy explosions weren't unusual and asked her to relay her words to the battle-ready mages.

Only when the sounds stopped and the portal showed us an entrance to the cave, did they calm down enough to let their magic go into dormant state.

"Sorry guys. Seems like I had to open the portal through more dimension than I expected." They just stared at me. It couldn't be helped, they didn't know what I was talking about, the theory of the dimensional net is extremely hard to comprehend. It took me 1584 years to finally understand the extent of my power over it.

I didn't carry the title of Dimensional Dragon for nothing. Though I asked my brethren not to call me that. It revealed too much of my true powers and also made them misunderstand what I could actually do.

Sometimes, to show respect, they called me the Space Dragon.

In fact, all of my titles were partly right. Fate because I could see future but at the same time, I couldn't write it or change it on a whim. Space because I traveled between stars, planets and galaxies but in reality, I have never been to space. Dimensional, because I communicated with different dimensions and observed them, sometimes even averting their destructions. But Dimensional Dragon shouldn't be able to create a world of its own.

It was frustrating, not having a name of my own that fit...

I just took a big breath and decide it was time for them to cheer u a bit.

"Dragon of Fate express is honoured to present you their fastest possible mean of transport. The Dark Passage. We would like to ask our dear passengers to come to the travel guide, Luciana, one by one..." And they all laughed which was exactly what I wanted them to do.

"So how exactly does it work?" questioned Erza, wiping away her tears.

"Oh, you know... The same way as the portal you used to get here. You just step in and the next moment you are at your destination."

Gray just smirked, wrenched Natsu away from Erza, slung him over his shoulder and stepped in. Once they saw that Gray indeed did get to the other side safely, they fearlessly followed him.

I waited until the only ones left were Wendy, Grandine and me. "Grandine, I think it the best you fly up. It's kind of pointless to widen the portal so you can pass through, when you can get there on your own in less than ten seconds..."

"Che. Stingy." she said in that childish tone she used when she was happy but didn't want you to know it.

I grinned at her. "Thank you, Nee-chan." I didn't call her that often, but it always made her happy.

She lowered her head and licked me from head to toe. "Eeeew!" It was really gross. The light blue dragon just laughed and flew up with the little dragon slayer perched on her head.


	13. Unruly Dragon

**Author's Note:** Yuuki~desu! ... It has been confirmed that Lady Yuuki is to depart to her summer villa tomorrow and shall stay there for duration of one week and one day. I am regretful to inform you there shall not be any new posts until her grand return... :D :D :D Always wanted to say something using that kind of speech :D The information is true though. So see ya in a week :)**  
**

**Chapter 13: Unruly Dragon**

I silently watched through the portal as Grandine finally landed on the little clearing by the cave's entrance. Only then did I step into the Dark Passage and firmly closed it behind me.

Although they would never admit it, I felt the humans were soothed by my presence.

Unfortunately, they were too soothed. Without hesitation, Titania walked up to the cave, taking my arrival as some kind of sign to proceed.

"Erza!" I cried out, going to her side with unfathomable speed.

I managed to stop the flying metal bar with one hand at the last second. The stupid thing was just thrown out of the cave the second she stood at its opening.

I glared inside the cave._ Now she's going to get it!_ I decided as I landed protectively before the stunned red-haired mage, doing my best to look intimidatingly.

"Mettie!" I shouted accusingly at the gaping darkness. My only response were echoes of my own words, which angered me more.

"Metalicana Redfox! You know you can't hide from me! Come out while I'm asking you nicely!" Now there was a groan and soft whisper I almost didn't catch, saying "Don't wanna."

_That's it! _I charged into the Iron Dragon's lair, ready to give her the scolding of her life. Which meant a _really _bad scolding, considering the fact I've been giving her those for as long as I can remember. And then I reconsidered it. She got too used to my ramblings. I needed to do something notable so that she actually _regretted_ her actions.

An idea popped inside my mind as I was walking deeper into the familiar darkness. I played with the idea a bit, looking at it from different angles and contemplating the consequences. When I saw no harm in going on with it, I grinned evilly. Yeah, it was cruel. But this time she went overboard. _She almost killed Erza, for Great Will's sake!_

What I saw, when I reached the end of the cave, didn't help my temper one bit. The big dragon was just lying there, watching me with blank and slightly bored look. I stomped to her, leaped into air and round-house-kicked her right on her forehead.

"Ouch!" she cried out and looked at me with childish hurt in her eyes.

She knew I wasn't finished yet. I ran to her tail, grabbed it with my hands and started pulling the enormous Iron Dragon out of her lair by it. She whimpered, growled and even wailed in protest but didn't do anything to stop me.

_Smart girl, but submission won't help you this time_

Even if strength I had in human form was enhanced, it was incomparable to the one I had in my dragon form. And pulling the dragon out of its cave by a tail was one of those tasks I would rather do in the latter form if given the choice. Choice I didn't have. So by the time the stupid charcoal black dragon with honey eyes was out of its hiding place for the world to see, I almost fainted from exhaustion.

_Come on! You still have work to do!_ Ignoring my aching muscles, I turned to the now eerily silent dragon.

"Originally, I came here to let you reunite with your dragon slayer," I glanced at the flabbergasted Gajeel, "but there is one pressing matter we must discuss before that, don't we?" Again that annoying wailing.

"Mettie. What have I told you about throwing random iron objects out of the cave? I wasn't joking about that! This time you almost killed one of my guests!" I gestured at the angry 'Fairy Queen' but Metalicana wouldn't look at her.

I waited for her to say something, _anything_. But she didn't even open her eyes to look at me anymore.

I sighed. "Mettie, please..."

"You left me alone." It was so muffled I almost dismissed it as a simple noise of her rustling scales.

Forgetting all about humiliation I intended to cause her, my glare softened and I went to kneel before her head. "Is that why you threw out that metal bar? To hit me? To punish me?" I asked her looking into her now open eyes.

She nodded. "I didn't mean to hurt anyone. It's just... I hadn't used my powers since I came here... My aim was off." She looked at Erza, and switched to human language. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to throw it at you. Are you hurt?" Everyone seemed startled. This was the first time they heard a dragon speak language they actually understood.

Tension stretched as the ex-quip mage peered at the dragon suspiciously. She couldn't seem to decide. "It's my fault." I choked out as I hid my face at the shadows of my hair. "Please, Erza, don't blame her."

"What made you think I would hold it against her? She regrets her action and no one is hurt. If she promises not to do it again, I will forget all about this incident."

I scoffed. Metalicana has NEVER agreed to promise that to me, no matter how many times I asked her to.

Nervous, I studied my second stepsister. She was the youngest of us siblings. And by far, the most fragile.

She once told me she felt as if she didn't fit in with the rest of the dragons. She pouts a lot, acts like a kid and is extremely shy. Not at all like other members of Dragon Race, who proudly display their powers and say what they think out loud.

As far as I knew, I was the only one she felt at ease with, which made her extremely dependent on me. As a result, she was more like my daughter than little sister.

I loved her with all my heart but sometimes she was unbearable. Too stubborn, she didn't listen to orders and refused to socialize with others of her kind, even when I begged her to. I thought that her raising Gajeel meant she has changed.

_I was so horribly mistaken..._

"Okay. I promise." I blinked. Surely, I heard her wrong. "Mettie? Are you feeling all right?"I asked her none too gentle and ran to her, checking her for some open wound, making sure her temperature was in norm, even looking for possible cracks in distribution of magic power thorough her body.

She chuckled a bit when she realized what I was doing. "I'm fine, Lu."

"Really? You promise?" I was worried sick about her, not even noticing that we've been talking in human language the whole time.

"Really. I promise. I'm fine. You don't have to be so worried, Nee-chan." she stood up on all of her four legs, took a few steps, stretched her wings and flit her tail. "See?"

My racing mind calmed down a bit at her demonstration.

"D-did you just say 'Nee-chan'?" stuttered Gajeel, not caring at all that Metalicana hadn't noted his presence until now. He was just glad she was okay. That is, until he heard what the Iron Dragon called me.

I stared at him and blinked a few times in confusion. _How did he know?... _Replaying the previous conversation I realized my careless mistake.

_Well, the cat is out of the bag now, I might as well answer him._

"Yep. You heard her right. Metalicana is my stepsister." Not giving him enough time for that to seep in, I added: "As is Grandine."

Levy, as quick to catch on as ever, pointed out the obvious. "Then, you're Gajeel's and Wendy's aunt?"

I nodded, trying to figure out if this was the moment I told them I was also Natsu's aunt.


	14. Hidden Behind the Glass Mask

**Author's Note: **Yuuki~desu! Obviously, I'm back. And not so obviously, I didn't have much time to write while I was gone, so I don't think there will be another chappie until next week... Try to not hate me too much, okay? Don't forget to review!**  
**

**Chapter 14: Hidden Behind The Glass Mask**

In the end, I didn't tell them about my relation to Natsu. It would only make them more confused and it wouldn't be fair to the still sleeping fire mage if the others knew and he himself was in the dark. So I kept my mouth tightly shut and tried my best to answer all of Wendy's, Gajeel's and Levy's questions.

"Who's the eldest of you sisters?" asked Levy and I sighed miserably. I really didn't want them to know how old I was. It would change their opinion of me and the way they talked to me.

"Grandine. She's 10 years older than me and 137 years older than Metalicana." I was glad I thought of that answer. _That way they won't exactly know my age or the fact I had one more sister_. I grinned inwardly at my cleverness. That is, until the next question came.

"So how old are you?" This time it was Gajeel. He tried not to look too interested in my answer but failed.

_That much for hiding my age. _If I wanted them to trust me completely, I had to answer them truthfully. _That decision is already making me miserable.. What will be next?_.

"Let me see... About... 3357 years?"

Gray almost choked at my response and Wendy's eyes widened so much, I thought they would pop out of their sockets. Gajeel was hectically looking from me to Metalicana and back, undoubtedly going through all the equations in his head in an attempt to find out Metalicana's age.

"We're sorry for being so rude to you, ancient lady..." told me Happy in one of his innocent sounding voices.

I'm not very touchy about my age but Happy crossed the line. Sure, I could understand why he was apologizing, but he practically called me walking mummy!

"I. AM. NO. ANCIENT. LADY!" I didn't yell but that wasn't much of a plus. It sounded pretty scary even to my own ears.

The blue cat started sobbing, which made me feel like a criminal who stole candy from a kid.

"I'm so sorry, Happy. It's fine. Just act like you have before." I looked at the teary-eyed Exceed and slowly pulled him to me for a hug. "I'm not mad at you." He nodded and wiped his face with the back of his paw, doing his best to look as if nothing happened.

I didn't let go of him as I turned to others. "Do you have any more questions? I don't mind if you do, you know. I just think it would be better to carry on the conversation somewhere else. It's going to be dark soon."

Gray looked at me confused. "But the sun is still up. It doesn't even look like it's going to set any time soon."

"It doesn't set," I explained. "This world is kind of artificial. Some essential things are missing in here. Sunset is one of them."

"Then why did you say it's going to get dark?"

"Because Dragon of Darkness will bring the night any minute now. It's his job to block the sun rays from 9 pm 'till 6 am. Just like Grandine is responsible for circulation of air, Wallaia for the flow of rivers and Igneel for heating up the ground, since the sun only provides light in this dimension."

"Everything in here... Was made by dragons?" Erza questioned with disbelief in her voice and Mettie eagerly answered her.

"Yes. It's a very fragile ecosystem, but it works."

"Unbelievable." breathed out Levy.

I shrugged. "I guess it is... I've lived in this world for 1439 years. You kind of get used to it after all that time."

"Yeah." Agreed Mettie with a suspicious glint in her eyes._ I bet she's remembering THAT day._ I smirked and shook my head at her. "_This isn't the right time." _Her smile faded a bit at my telepathic message. _"Fine. You can tell them when we're at my place, 'kay?" _The moment that thought left my mind,Metalicana started humming some cheerful melody. _I am so going to regret this..._

It was time to discuss official business.

"Natsu Dragneel, Wendy Marvell, Gajeel Redfox, Erza Scarlet, Gray Fullbuster, Levy McGarden, Jet , Droy, Happy, Carla, Pantherlily. All of you are my precious guests, therefore it is my duty to protect you and take you under my roof. Do you accept my offer of safe haven?" The formulation was pretty stupid, but it was an ancient dragon tradition and I wasn't about to disrespect wishes of my ancestors because of its archaic sound.

"What do you mean 'under your roof'?" Levy wasn't stupid. She felt the slightest twinge of magic that accompanied my words.

"My lair. A cave." I got odd looks.

From my times spent with them, I knew Fairy Tail members felt better sleeping under the stars, not in secluded areas. But I couldn't let them refuse my offer. If I let them sleep outside, it would mean they refused my protection. Any of the dragons could hurt them then. Not like my people would like to do so... They would have no choice. They know very well we can't let people who don't trust us and saw us, roam free.

That was why I cringed at her question. "Please. Say yes." I whispered. _I don't want to be responsible for your death._

"I would love to." said Wendy, pleading with her eyes for others in her team to do the same. _Grandine must have told her._

Erza was about to refuse. I saw it in her eyes. "I won't take you to Igneel, if you don't accept." Blackmailing is for losers. And at that moment, I had every right to act like one.

"I didn't see you like one who uses such cheap tricks to get what you want." She sounded disappointed in me. If I was full Lucy, not Luciana, I would beg her for forgiveness.

_I am Luciana and I'll act accordingly._ With that, I held her gaze the whole time she was glaring at me.

"Alright. If you give me your word you'll take us to Igneel tomorrow, I will accept."

_Smart. And fair._

"I, Luciana, The Dragon Queen, give you my word I will take you to Igneel the next morning, if you accept my hospitality."

"Very well. I accept." I was relieved she peacefully complied. If she didn't, no one would. No matter the fact it was called Team Natsu, the leader will always be Titania.

Once they all followed her example, I opened another portal. This time, it led straight to my lair.

I entered first and lit the torches, which I considered useless with my perfect night vision, but had them anyway. Only then did the 'fairies' go after me.

"Creepy." said Jet. I growled a bit at him though he was right. The flames illuminating the cave were flickering too much, creating mysterious shadows on the walls.

"Follow me," I said simply. It sounded rude and I didn't care. It couldn't make them dislike me more than my earlier stunt with blackmail.

It kind of hurt to feel the irritated stares of my former teammates on my back. More so when it were most of them, not only Natsu.

I cast a quick glance the pinkette's way. He was soundly snoring, thoroughly lost in his peaceful dreams, all while he was hanging on Gray's shoulder. The Ice mage didn't seem to care that his rival was using him as a pilllow and continued carrying him.

We were silent during the journey. Somehow it didn't fit the image of Fairy Tail and made me annoyed. _Great Will help me, I miss their arguments._

It took us a while to reach the main part of my lair, the Glass Dome. It was also the biggest open area in my cave.

I intended to make the humans (along with my two stepsisters, who refused to leave) sleep there, while I myself would have some rest in my personal bedroom, the one no one knew of. I didn't realize how tired I was until I thought of my sweet Amethyst Castle and the dragon-sized bed in it...

I shook my head and looked around. While I was thinking lovingly of my bed, humans were admiring the Glass Dome. As its name says, its whole interior is made of raw glass. The roof, the walls, even the stalagmites. No matter how impossible it may seem, the dome is natural part of the cave.

I created it because I really needed something extraordinary to admire to take my mind off my loneliness and boredom. Two of the biggest emotions I felt my whole life...

Obviously, those days are a distant past. Now, I had 14 visitors standing before me and I felt psychically exhausted. Something I haven't felt before I entered Fairy Tail.

It was really late and moon started peeping around the edge of the roof, reminding me I had to explain the bed arranging. "Mettie, you can have the Emerald Salon. Grandine... It's up to you. Would you rather sleep in Ruby Room or Sapphire Tower?" Her impossibly wide smile revealed most of her razor sharp teeth, which glinted in the light of torches. "Ruby." _Thought so._

"You guys... I'm sorry but you'll have to stay here. I don't have enough rooms." I was a bit embarrassed at the lie. There still was my Amethyst Castle, complex of 38 rooms out of which 20 were empty. It was selfish of me but I wasn't about to tell them about my top secret hiding place just to let them spent the night in more comfort.

"It's not like they're going to sleep, Nee-chan. It'll take a while to tell them ALL your embarrassing stories." I groaned. Mettie was going to forever ruin my reputation as the fearful Dragon Queen. _And in just one night._

"Suit yourself. It's not like you will listen to my pleas not to tell them." She laughed victoriously as I tiredly waved my hand in air, opening 12 Dark Windows. The moment they were big enough, beds dropped out of them, making a circle in the centre of the room. The mini portals closed as soon as they accomplished their mission, beds being the only evidence of their earlier appearance.

"Good night." I wished no one in particular and teleported instantly to my office. I sat down on an antigue armchair I got from the Spirit King and started crying.

_Ace-niisan... Why? Why did you leave me?..._


	15. Despairs of Past

**Author's Note:** Yuuki~desu! I know I told you guys there wouldn't be any new chapter for a week, but somehow I suddenly got inspired. Also, today is mu birthday so I decided to celebrate it this way. This chapter is about very important moments in Luciana's past :)**  
**

**Ages at the beginning:  
**

**LUCIANA - 153  
**

**ACNOLOGIA - 153**

* * *

**Chapter 15: Despairs of Past**

"_Ace-niisan! Ace-niisan!" I chirped while running after my midnight blue twin. He turned to me, frowning. _

"_Luciana. How many times do I have to tell you not to call me that? My name is Acnologia, not Ace." _

"_But Acnologia is too long!" I pouted. The dragon before me just sighed._

"_So how did you even think of calling me Ace?" I grinned because I knew he gave in._

"_Ace. A C. Those are first two letters of your name." He eyed me a bit suspiciously. _

"_You don't like it?" I wasn't about to call him something he didn't like to be called. He was my beloved twin brother. What's more, he was always my brother. In every cycle. In every life. Along with Igneel, we were Siblings of Souls._

"_Let's make a deal. You can call me Ace, but in exchange, I will call you Lu." _

"_Okay." I agreed instantly._

* * *

**_171 years later  
_**

"_Come on, Lu. Why don't you play with us?" I was lying under a big oak, watching my adoptive sibling play with my biological ones._

"_I can't." I shook my head and turned to Acnologia with tears in my eyes._

"_Of course you can. I'm not leaving you here alone. And you can't hide from me the fact that you want to play with Wallia."_

"_I can't." I whispered, burying my nose into my front paws."The moment I join in, Igneel will trip and break his wing."_

"_Is that what you saw in one of your visions?" I nodded._

"_Lu..."_

_I wiped tears away from my eyes and smiled brightly at my older brother. "Don't worry about me, Ace-niisan. I'm okay. You go and play with them in my stead. I'll be okay."_

_He didn't look convinced, but left anyway._

* * *

_**640 years later**  
_

_It was a deep night and everyone was sleeping. I tip-toed around the dragons sleeping on the cave's floor and entered the night._

_My heart was aching again and the sense of loneliness was overwhelming. I flew down the mountain and sat down beside the river._

_It was so hard to breathe... I was gasping for air, tears running down my cheeks. My vision was slowly fading and my legs gave away under me, allowing me to collapse onto the grass._

_I couldn't hear anything except the frantic beating of my heart and blood rushing through my veins. With the last bit of my strength I clutched onto my aching chest. It felt as if there was a big gaping wound there. Then, I fell into oblivion._

"_Lu! Lu! Luciana!" someone was shaking me. I didn't know what the person wanted but I wished he just left me alone. I felt so apathetic. I was empty. I couldn't care less if I died now. Maybe it would even free me from this emptiness..._

"_You can't die! Come on! Wake up! Open your eyes!" I didn't understand. Why is that person saying I can't die?_

"_Luciana, don't you leave us! There are so many people who care about you here. Igneel, Grandine, Wallia and the grey still unhatched egg. Didn't you say you wanted to take care of the little one inside?" The egg. That little innocent soul inside. Yes, I wanted to see it grow up, grow stronger... I promised to protect it._

_Suddenly, there was a ray of intense light piercing the numbness surrounding me. I grabbed for it, pulling myself out of the oblivion and emptiness._

_My eyelids felt like lead. I was surprised I even managed to open them. _

_I turned my gaze to the dragon standing above me. It was such a familiar shape tha I knew who it was without even seeing his face. _

"_Ace-niisan..." I whispered. _

"_Thank goodness you woke up. I thought you would really let yourself disappear." answered Acnologia, his voice shaking. _

"_What...?" I was trying to roll to my side and stand up but my body wouldn't move. _

"_It's okay. Don't move. You have to rest a bit." _

"_What?" I asked him again._

"_Do you remember what happened to you before you passed out?"_

"_I had all those awful feeling inside me... There was so much pain and loneliness, I couldn't breathe. I felt as if I had a big hole in my chest and it wouldn't close..." By the time I finished, I was crying openly. Something I never did._

"_Shh. You're alright. I'm here with you." He was licking my face, trying to quiet me down._

"_It's him, isn't it." I asked my twin when I finally found my voice again. _

_He looked so solemn and sympathetic when I said it, I knew I was right._

"_Why, Acnologia? Why did he leave me? We are Soul mates. One spirit. So why did he abandon me? Why has he chosen to be reborn as a human? Does he not love me anymore?" I was wailing and sobbing and I didn't care._

"_I do not know, Sister. I do not know..."_

* * *

_**954 years later...**  
_

_I knew I was racing with time. I flew at my full speed to the capital city, all the while images of destruction and death repeated in my mind. _He can't have done it. _I didn't want to believe Igneel's words._

_Acnologia has always been the most sensible of us. The one who was never confused. He couldn't have been fooled by that twisted god._

_I was nearing the main street, when I saw him. Acnologia. My brother. My twin. My Soul Sibling was there, setting the country on fire, ruthlessly killing humans we were supposed to guide and teach.._

"_Ace-niisan!" _It has to be an illusion. It has to be a trick of some sort._ "Ace-niisan!" _

_I was right behind him when he turned around and slashed at me with his claws. Shocked, I didn't even try to dodge the attack. It hit my wing and sent me falling to the ground._

_He didn't spare me one single glance as he continued with the massacre. My heart shattered at the same moment. _

First Vernon and now Acnologia. They're all leaving me.

_I was so tired of loneliness, of being hurt... I closed my eyes and hoped the fall would kill me and let me rest in peace._

* * *

**_2 days later...  
_**

"_I'm not going to leave you." said Igneel gently. I gave him a bitter smile and left. He meant it, I knew, but I didn't dare believe in his words. His mind could change. Just like Vernon's and Acnologia's has. Maybe not now. Maybe after millennium or two._

_I retreated back into my realm. Place only I could enter. Place where no one would betray me._


	16. Line Between Lives

**Author's Note: **Yuuki~desu! Hi guys! So finally, after a week, I managed to musterenough energy and write a chappie. I gave it my all, but it still sucks unbelievably. Try to bear with it. I'm squeezed totally dry from school and lack of sleep...**  
**

**Chapter 16: Line Between Lives**

I woke up suddenly, not sure what made me rise from my nap.

My vision was blurry from exhaustion and my limbs felt like lead. I was too tired to move, so I only tilted my head to take a better look at my surroundings.

At first, I didn't recognize the place. It felt vaguely familiar but I couldn't remember why.

_This is not my room. _I thought as I took in the violet wallpaper with black ornaments, grand mahogany working table, ancient-looking onyx fireplace and enormous library shelves full of books.

It didn't look anything like my little apartment in Magnolia with my small table, cheap-looking chair and my pink bed under the window...

I furrowed my brows, willing my memories to come back to me. Nothing.

Wave of panic shot through my sleepy mind and I sat up straight in alert. The armchair protested to my sudden movement and I glanced at it. It had beautiful and delicately carved armrests.

Upon impulse, I rose my hand to try to copy the images depicted in the wood with my fingerprints and gasped.

My hand was paler than I've ever seen it, my wrist more slender and my nails were black and pointy. _Like claws..._

It all rushed back to me then. Everything that happened only few hours ago, comprised into seconds of remembering.

_I'm Luciana._..

It was understandable that I had problems differentiating between my life as Lucy and Luciana, but it still made me upset. _I hope it goes away soon..._I didn't want to know what would happen if I accidentally spoke to one of my ex-teammates while in that state.

I gently rose from my seat and slowly made my way to a black archway on the other side of the room. Behind it was located a much bigger room, similar to the office I just came from. The wallpaper pattern and oak floor tiles here was same as in the other room.

Of course, since this was bedroom, the furniture was different. Easel was located at one of the corners of the room, with small table on which lay wooden pallet covered with all kinds of colours- proof of my hobby. Other three corners were occupied by either closets or cabinets full of books – ranging from the ancient ones to those published 25 years ago.

_I'll have to update it. _It was a silly thought but somehow it made me less tense.

At the centre of the room stood another table, this one was oval and made from pure amethyst. I gingerly ran my hands over its top plate, remembering all the hours I spent sitting at the table, writing books. I patted my favourite chair, the table's only companion and went on to another mahogany piece of my old life.

After all these years, I was standing here, in my bedroom. It felt so nostalgic that I had to touch the furniture to stay in the present.

After that, I turned to look at the walls. They were covered with numerous paintings showing different dragons.

Now that I was Luciana, it was easy to identify all of them. _Acnologia, Metalicana, Wallia, Sirial, Igneel, Eira, Godral, Kaisen, Rowan... _I went from the most recent ones to the older ones, prying hard my memories from my previous reincarnation cycles.

Lastly, I came to stand before my queen-sized bed. There, right above the bedpost, hung the biggest and oldest painting of them all.

It showed a graceful yet deadly indigo dragon. The whole picture has been painted so carefully and in detail, it was as if the creature in it could jump from up there any second. It pulsed with life force so strong, it was as if he was a real living being, who was only trapped inside.

Yet, his eyes said otherwise. They looked dull, empty, void of any trace of life. Somehow, they looked like they were mocking the rest of the beautiful masterpiece.

_Vernon..._

**Flashback**

"_Hey. Lu?" _

"_Yeah, Ace-niisan?" I answered him, not tearing my gaze away from the heartbreaking sunset before us._

"_There is something I've been wondering about..." It wasn't like my sibling to ask me something so I urged him to continue._

"_Go on."_

_He was visibly contemplating how to continue and I patiently waited. _

_His next words came out in a rush, startling me not only by the content of his question._

"_How did you know Vernon was your Soul mate?" _

_I whipped my head around to look at him. We never talked about Vernon. Not since the nght I almost died by the river. It was like an unspoken taboo. _

_I got up and was about to leave, when he grabbed my shoulder._

"_I'm sorry for asking you, but I really want to know. I... How can you be so sure he's The One?" His eyes were pleading for me to forgive his tactless behavior. " Please understand, I don't want to you to be in despair over a guy who wasn't really your mate..." _

_I could think of million reasons to tell him to leave me alone, but something made me sit down and even answer._

"_He is The One. I know it."_

"_How?" Curiosity was written all over his face._

"_It's... I don't know. Truth to be told, it wasn't love at first sight as I used to tell you." I smirked at the lie I once told him. _

"_He was cocky, annoying, egoistical... Everything I hated. What's more, we were exact opposites. He was the Night Dragon, while I was the Dragon of Light. We would fight, compete..." _

_Acnologia stared at me in disbelief. His soul was younger than mine. He hadn't even been alive then. _

"_Sometimes the older dragons had to interfere in our fights to prevent us from actually killing the other... When we grew up, we avoided each other, only caring about our missions..."_

"_So what happened?" The midnight blue dragon was holding his breath in anticipation._

"_Magicians attacked one of our tribes. The two of us volunteered to be the bait while the others escaped." At that moment, I felt like I was once again on the battlefield, blinding the humans with my light, fighting back-to-back with the reckless but brave dragon. _

"_We barely managed to survive... After that, my opinion of him continued to rise and we finally became friends. The best ones, actually. We had so much fun then. Where there was some kind of catastrophe, you could bet we were the cause... And you know the rest..." My voice trailed off as image of my long lost lover flashed before my eyes._

_I focused again and tried to remember the day I found out that the person I loved so much was actually my Soul mate._

"_You just know it. When the time is right, of course."_

That was the last conversation I had with my brother before he went on rampage.


	17. Forbidden Questions

**Author's Note: **Yuuki~desu! Hi guys! Actually, I'm down with a flu and I got plenty of time to write, so this chapter has been finished in a record time. Yay! Also, I would like to say I'm really grateful for all of your reviews. I read every single one and I'm glad to say they're inspiring and make me want to write more :) So don't forget to review! Enjoy!**  
**

**Chapter 17: Forbidden Questions**

Even after the Dragon of Fate disappeared, Metalicana couldn't tear her gaze away from the spot her elder sister stood before teleporting.

_Luciana... _

The Iron Dragon had no doubt her beloved sibling was crying out her heart somewhere, alone in the dark.

It was painful for her to imagine the proud Queen reduced to a sobbing piece of sorrow and loneliness, but she knew that was exactly what Luciana was. A kind-hearted, sensitive and now unbelievably heartbroken creature, hiding under a mask of responsibility and fake pride.

She would never admit it to the person herself, but she was often able to see through the mask her sister desperately clung onto. And what she saw under it almost made her go insane.

Luciana was such a mixture of negative feelings accumulated through so many centuries, it was a wonder her personality and sanity was still intact.

Dragons tended to be prisoners of their own inner states, not able to forget anything, reliving their mistakes over and over again. Not even death set them free. They would regain their memories from their past lives eventually after being reborn. Metalicana understood that, though she herself had no previous memories.

She was a new soul. Untainted by the past. Free. At least for now.

"Metalicana." Grandine's voice pulled the Iron Dragon from her thoughts. "Ah. Sorry sis. I wasn't listening. Did you say something?"

The older dragoness shook her head exasperatedly, doing her best not to growl at the charcoal dragon. "I asked you if it's really necessary to tell our guests about Luciana's embarrassing adventures. She's our queen. What will you do if they lose respect for her?"

"Don't worry. I just wanted to get rid of her. Now that she's gone, we're finally free to talk about anything we want." With that last sentence, the unruly dragon grinned at the humans, who were curiously peering at the two conversing dragons.

Metalicana ignored the Sky dragon's shocked expression and looked over the spectators, now safely sitting on their respective beds.

Finally, she spotted the person she was looking for.

Her eyes still held that mischievous glint when she spoke to Gajeel. "So it seems you've found me."

It wasn't a question, so the raven-haired dragon slayer only nodded.

"How about I give you a prize for making it here?" The room suddenly got quieter and curiosity radiated from every Fairy Tail member. A prize? What could a dragon offer as a prize?

Their unspoken speculation was soon answered. "You can ask me one question and I will have to answer it truthfully, no matter what it is."

It was no small offer and everyone knew it. Knowledge of the Dragons was infinite and guarded accordingly. Few met a Dragon and got out unscathed, not to mention that none of them had the luxury of gaining any information from them. This was a once-in-a-hundred-lifetimes opportunity.

"_Metalicana!" _Hissed Grandine through their telepathic connection. _"Have you gone crazy? You can't do that! What if they ask you one of 'those' questions?"_

The honey-eyed dragon knew exactly what questions she meant. Luciana made it clear to her sisters they were not to tell the magicians about her life as human. Under any circumstances.

"_Too late. I already gave them my word."_

"_You do realize we're screwed, don't you?" _The only answer the light blue dragon got, was a puff of smoke.

While the two dragons were arguing, Gajeel was desperately trying choose the right question.

There were two he considered worth asking, but couldn't decide. The first was obviously the one he was asking himself for years. Why had the dragons left the Earthland?

The second was the one he knew the others would want him to ask. Where is Lucy? It was, after all, the main purpose for this whole journey...

The iron dragon slayer was torn between his duty as a Fairy Tail member and desire as a kid who has been left behind by the most important person in his life.

In the end, loyalty to his guild won. He would never willingly admit it, but the time he had spent with the weird magicians was precious to him. He had so much fun with the others... No matter how little he spoke with the stellar spirit mage, she was one of his comrades and a vital part of the team. He was sure that without her, the guild wouldn't be the same.

Gajeel returned his companions' expectant stares and breathed in, readying himself for his task.

"Please tell me Lucy Heartfillia's location."

"Oh, shit." whispered Grandine. She never swore. In fact, she was the most polite and composed dragon of them all, but she couldn't help herself this time. The worst scenario was unfolding right before her and all she could do was watch. Watch and pray to the Great Will that Luciana won't kill her and Metalicana when she finds out.

"I should have known you would ask that. You really like those Fairy Tail people, don't you?" Metalicana seemed unfazed by her adoptive son's choice and calmly continued without waiting for answer that she knew wasn't coming.

"You were right in coming here. Lucy Heartfillia, the person you're looking for, is indeed here."

"Where?!" cried Natsu, which caught everyone by surprise. No one noticed the pinkette waking up.

"I don't know where exactly she is at the moment." said the Iron Dragon sincerely. She truly didn't know where had Luciana gone. "But I assure you she is in this dimension."

Several of the Fairy Tail members sighed contentedly.

Levy wasn't one of them. "What is her condition?" Courageous solid script mage knew the dragons were hiding something from them. If Lucy was alright, she would have gone back to Fairy Tail long time ago. Since that wasn't the case, the blue haired girl grew suspicious.

"She is alive and well, I assure you." This time it was Grandine's turn to answer. The cat was already out of the bag, so she saw no reason to keep quiet any longer.

"If that's so, why didn't she contact us?" Gray managed to follow Levy's train of thoughts quite easily. He was more fond of the Stellar mage than he let on and the solid script mage's suspicion tugged on his own.

"You'll have to ask that the person herself. That is, if you find her." Metalicana's cryptic message silenced Titania's intended protests.

"Bastard! You're hiding her, aren't you?!"

Natsu was already halfway to the Iron dragon before anyone managed to stop him. He leapt into air, his Fire fist ready to strike the charcoal dragon, when he was captured. Confused, he looked on his body. His legs were caught in glass, preventing him from moving.

"Natsu!" Without thinking, Happy flew to his teammate and tried to get him out of his see-through prison, when the glass enveloped him in same manner as his friend.

"What the-" cursed Gajeel, observing the situation.

Erza was furious. Two of her comrades were now trapped and it happened right before her eyes. Cold anger flooded her and her common sense as she ex-quipped into Heaven's Wheel armour, intent on attacking the younger of dragons.

Easily, she was also caught.

"Now, now, calm down a little." said the now-hated dragon soothingly. "If you call off your magic, it'll let you go."

Under normal circumstances, they would ignore the Iron Dragon's words, but it was hard to dismiss the fact they were caught only _after _they used their powers.

Happy and Erza complied and just like Metalicana said, the glass immediately retreated, becoming once again a part of the floor.

Natsu, on the other hand, only got angrier and let the flames envelop his whole body. He was futilely trying to melt the substance that immobilized him. The result, however, was absolute opposite. The glass spread around his body even more, holding him in a death grip and sucking his overwhelming magic power.

That's when Wendy decided to act. She jumped off her adoptive mother's back and ran to the pinkette. She was facing his back, when she jumped up and hit his neck with her hand. Immediately, the dragon slayer faded into unconsciousness. "Sorry, Natsu-san." whispered the little girl to the now unhearing man.

The moment the flames disappeared, the glass let go of the fire dragon slayers limp body.

Stunned audience just watched Wendy, who carefully laid Natsu on the ground. It took them a while to register she was actually talking to them.

"Please everyone, stop. I'm sure Metalicana and Grandine are not trying to hide Lucy-san. Besides, Lucy-san is smart. Surely she would find a way to contact us somehow during those seven years, even if she was being held captive."

Wendy's persuasive words left no room for the others to argue, so Levy decided to change the topic. She had a feeling that the dragons wouldn't tell them about Lucy any more than they have.

"Why did the glass capture Natsu, Happy and Erza? Obviously, it's reacting to magic. But why?"

"Luciana's lair is protecting its owner from potentially dangerous magic attacks. She's the only one who can use magic in here... Not even we can. Truth to be told, this is the first time we've actually been invited inside." Grandine's voice was full of regret with a hint of pity and exhaustion. She tried to make Luciana open up to her more so many times already...

"So you guys aren't on good terms, huh?" The Ice mage honestly couldn't care less about their relationship with their Queen, but he had a feeling every information he could gather about the mysterious Dragon of Fate would be useful later.

"It's not like that." protested the charcoal dragon. "She's just keeping to herself. It's not easy for her to open up to others. She's been betrayed twice already."

That sparked the Titania's interest. "She doesn't seem like the type that trusts easily. Those two that betrayed her... Who were they?"

Relieved that the conversation was straying from the topic of Lucy, the Sky Dragon was quick to share the personal information. "Her Soul mate and her twin brother."

Erza nodded in understanding. "That would explain her slightly... Eccentric personality..."

Metalicana smiled at the ex-quip mage's observation. The Dragon of Fate indeed was a bit eccentric.

To make them continue talking about something that doesn't concern their missing friend, she decided to give them a hint about identity of Luciana's brother. "Yeah... Actually, I'm sure you've already met her twin."

Her only response were blank stares, until Wendy gasped with horror.

"Then... That's why Luciana-san's dragon form is so similar to Acnologia's?" It was no more than a whisper, but it ominously spread throughout all of the Glass dome.


	18. The Rampaging Heart

**Author's Note: **Yuuki~desu! Hey! I bet you thought I was dead :D Jk. Okay, to tell you the truth, I had the most peculiar, selective reader's block. Ideas for my other story were just pouring down onto the paper, practically writing themselves, while this story got stuck. I'm relieved my Fairy Tail fanfic inspiration got back... Now enjoy and don't forget to... REVIEW!**  
**

**Chapter 18: The Rampaging Heart**

I turned around abruptly, not wanting to see the painting that brought back such a painful memory.

It was easier to look at the picture 25 years ago, probably because I accepted the betrayal and moved on. But after being part of Fairy Tail, I learned to hope in the hopeless and to never give up. I knew that that kind of thinking will only break me more, but I couldn't just push it aside.

After all those years of hardening my resolution to kill my twin, I was again hoping for his return and remorse.

I cringed and teleported out of the cave. I wasn't sure which world I entered and I didn't care.

I unleashed my boiling emotions, letting them wreak havoc on this piece of foreign land.

* * *

"Your Highness! There is someone destroying the gardens of Libra's house!" Loki almost made the door tear off its hinges when he burst into the Throne Room.

"Leo." said the man occupying the throne. His subordinate's panic have not affected his calm posture, but his mind was alert. "Is Aquarius having one of her fits again?"

"No, sir. It is not one of us." The leader of Zodiacs paused, hesitating with his next words. "It's... a dragon."

"What?!" Power of the King's voice made the walls in the throne room shake.

Immediately, he stood up, not waiting for the man before him to get up from his kneeling position and ran through the maze of corridors, heading for the Libra's house.

Sounds of explosions and cracking earth greeted him even before he got to the intersection between the Zodiac houses. The ancient leader took up his pace, not wanting to waste any time.

He stormed through the hallways of another one of his subordinate's home with urgency no one has ever seen him show before.

The sight that greeted him was one of his darkest nightmares.

A white dragon with violet markings was destroying everything in its vicinity, not caring what it was. The destruction it was leaving behind was one of the worst the old King has ever witnessed.

The ground was cracked in several places, somewhere chunks of it were missing. Grass, flowers and trees alike were on fire, smoke filling the gardens with its poison. Few trees were frozen, the ice not melting even when surrounded by flames. The fountain water was floating in the air, slicing through the ornate statues of various spirits. Then, a tornado appeared out of nowhere, changing the marble fences into sand piles.

And amidst all of it, stood the dragon, roaring, howling and clawing at nothing in particular.

_My old friend, what has happened to make you suffer this much?_

"Leo. Tell everyone to stand back. There is no way to stop the dragon now."

Loki, who just has arrived, nodded breathlessly and ran to the direction of a small pagoda, where his companions were waiting for him.

A particularly high-pitched and sorrowful roar caught their attention, making them prepare their attacks.

"Say," started Aries, "doesn't it sound like the dragon is crying?"

"Yeah," confirmed Aquarius, making them all look at her. She sounded almost sympathetic.

"I feel like one of the bad guys, trying to stop it, ebi."

Not even Libra, who was fussing about the state of her gardens could disagree with that.

Loki, out of breath, broke the solemn silence sitting upon them. "Guys. We are pulling back."

"Why?" asked Gemi and Mini simultaneously.

"King's orders. We are retreating. Now."

And so the spirits had no other choice than to join their King on the edge of the gardens, helplessly watching the progressing destruction accompanied by heartbreaking howls and roars from the snow-white dragon.

When the fierce creature started breathing cold mist that turned everything it touched into ice, Loki, without turning to the person, asked : "You know that dragon, do you not, Your Majesty?"

If the Spirit King were any other person with his standing, he would be offended by the question, but he and his spirits were family and they had the right to know.

"I do."

"Who is it?" Leo's unwavering gaze now focused on the old man's face, searching it for any kind of emotion. There was none.

"One of my closest friends. The one who enabled the creation of Spirit-human contracts."

Aquarius, who was standing close enough to hear the conversation, tried to remove any sign of astonishment from her face. She had not known that the contracts were created with help of someone else. She always thought the King's power did that.

"Why is he doing this?" Loki's expression was unreadable as he turned back to watch the apocalyptic scene before him.

"She," corrected the stoic man, with his arms crossed on his chest.

Nodding, the leader of Zodiac spirits repeated his question.

"What do you know about dragons, Leo?" countered the King.

The ex-Fairy Tail mage smirked, remembering his very unreliable source of information about this kind.

"Only what I heard from one of the dragon slayers. They are wise, prone to showing infinite kindness to others, so not talk..." He shook his head in exasperation. Saying 'they are cool' like Natsu described them, wasn't really a description.

"I see. Let me tell you what I know about them. Dragons are the most magnificent, wise and powerful creatures I've ever met. And they are by far, the weakest."

"Weakest, Milord?" Loki was sincerely confused. How could they be the most powerful and weakest at the same time?

"That's right. The weakest. While their magical powers and wisdom cannot be matched by anyone in this, or the human world we so often visit, in one aspect, they are weaker than humans."

The Lion Spirit held his breath in anticipation.

"Emotions, Leo. They make _us_ stronger, and _the dragons_ weaker. Any kind of withheld emotion will eat them away from the inside, pushing them to the edge and eventually, making them insane. That's the price they pay for their wisdom and immortality."

Silence stretched, uninterrupted for seconds.

"Has she gone insane?" whispered Aquarius almost inaudibly.

"No." shook his head the Spirit King. "She's venting out her emotions, trying to prevent the complete breakdown."

"Wi- will she make it?" stuttered Aries, who happened to listen in on their conversation once she noticed the serious atmosphere.

"She has to." The words alone spoke of uncertainty and fear, and adding it to the stern expression the ruler of the Celestial spirit world only made them more so.

It was only now that the Spirits realized just how much the King cared for the rampant dragoness.

* * *

I woke up, exhausted. Which struck as odd, since the last time I remembered, I was full of magic power. I blinked a few times, thanking the Great Will it was night.

What I saw startled me so much, my head shot up to see more.

I was lying at the centre of enormous crater. Its edges were either blackened and still smoking, or frozen.

I tried to remember what I had done, but my memories were a jumbled mess, flashes of unfamiliar scenes rising at the back of my mind.

I brought my left paw up to my face, to hide my eyes in shame and then I let my head fall down on the ground, hard.

_What have I done this time?_

A rustling sound brought my attention to my right. I sniffed at the air and familiar scents filled my nose. I grunted indignantly when I realized who it was.

"Please tell me I'm not in the Celestial Spirit World..."

"I'm not going to lie to you, Luciana." answered a deep and unreadable voice.

"Have I..." I gulped, trying to get my shaking voice under control. "Have I killed someone?"

"No."

_Oh, thank you Great Will. _ I don't think I'd have the strength to go on living if I had killed one of the Celestial Spirits.

"But you effectively turned Libra's gardens into a miraculous display of different climate changes and natural catastrophes."

"How much pissed off is she?"

"She fainted."

I sighed, knowing I would pay for this later.

"Luciana."

Serious tone of his voice made me remove my paw and look up at him. He looked every bit the Spirit King he was – regal, proud and calculating.

"When you were on rampage, your... Your eyes were red." Caught up in assessing his looks, meaning of his words escaped me for a while.

"Even... Even the whites?"

He nodded and my breath hitched. _It's close._

"I need to get back, Solaris. I gave my word."

"I still have the link with that chair I gave you. I can transport you there."

"I would appreciate that."

"Just change into your human form."

"Right." And so I did as I was told.

The Spirit King was indeed powerful, but transporting a dragon through dimensions is not as easy as it sounds. Not to mention transport through space is not his forte.

I curled into a ball as soon as the transformation was over. I tried to cover certain parts of my naked body, fighting the self-conscious blush that threatened to spill over my cheeks.

Realizing my problem, the King swiftly removed his cloak and draped it over me. Refusing to look at him, or the other spectators, I mumbled a soft 'thank you' and stood up, holding the cloth closely to my body.

He came closer to me, patted my shoulder reassuringly and raised his voice so that everyone could hear him. "Aries, I want you to go with her and make sure she's tucked safely into her bed."

"H-Hai." said the petite pink-haired girl as she smiled at me.

"Leo. You take Libra back to her house and stay with her until she wakes up. Try to calm her down as much as possible."

The Spirit in question studied me for a while and then he bowed to the King. "Milord."

"The others, please leave. I shall speak with you later."

I hung my head low, but even so I could feel their worried gazes on me as they started to leave. Whether they were worried about me, or scared of me, I had no idea.

Everything after that happened in matter of minutes.

The moustached spirit opened up a portal and we stepped through it. Luckily, I remembered to use the last remaining bits of my magic power to disable the barrier around my lair before we go to it.

The first one to land was Aries, who ended up elegantly perched on the ancient armchair, with me landing on top of her, not so elegantly.

I curtly apologized and made my way back into my bedroom, where I plopped myself on the bed, not caring I was naked and covered only by the Spirit King's cloak.

Softly, Aries pulled the blanket from under me and then up to my neck, smiling cutely.

By that time, the land of dreams was already taking over me, making my thoughts foggy.

If it were not for that, I might have noticed her surprised gasp as her eyes landed on the golden keys lying on my bedside table.


	19. Point of Insanity

**Author's Note: **Yuuki~desu! Hi guys! I just thought you might be relieved to recieve some kind of assurance that I intend to continue with this story... Well here it is. I know it's a pathetic excuse of a chapter but I'm having serious trouble keeping up my studies AND hobbies. Not to mention I aslo have art classes... Oh well. I promise the next chappie will be more... everything :D Here's a little bit of spoiler for the next chappie: seems like Aries hadn't kept silent about her atonishing discovery! ;) Enjoy!**  
**

**Chapter 19: Point of Insanity**

"That psycho-dragon is the old hag's twin?" Natsu, who recovered from the shock faster than the others couldn't help but smirk. He knew they were family. Their smell gave it away.

"Old hag?" asked Metalicana, sincerely perplexed.

The pink-haired man silently watched as understanding spread over the Sky dragon's face and then, he crossed his arms over his chest and turned to the younger of the two sisters. "Your little Queen, of course."

Metalicana growled, offended on behalf of her beloved sister. "How dare you make fun of your saviour!"

"Saviour? Hardly. If she hadn't interfered, I would have beaten crap out of Acnologia! But, no, she just HAD to protect her beloved brother, didn't she?"

Erza stomped over to the fire dragon slayer, gripped him by his scarf and rose him to air. "Natsu, I swear if you don't shut up, I'll make sure you will never speak another word." hissed the Titania venomously.

Natsu's glaring toned down a bit as he heard the threat, until any sign of defiance left his features. He nodded to the red haired mage, trying to make it look apologetic at the same time.

After a while, Erza put her teammate down, taking a step back to give him some space.

Gray, who was deep inside his own thought thorough the whole scene, stepped up to speak. "So, let me get this straight. Luciana, Queen of Dragons, is Acnologia's sister."

"That's what I said." groaned Grandine, regretting even starting the topic.

"But from what I could see yesterday, they do not cooperate. Why? Is Acnologia not one of you?"

The two dragons looked at each other. _"What are we going to do now?" _Metalicana's helplessness washed over the green-eyed dragon. _"There is no way to stop this now. We can only hope this doesn't turn into a catastrophe."_

The Iron dragon sighed, gave Grandine one last doubtful look and started the storytelling.

"Acnologia is not one of us. Not anymore, that is. He betrayed us 1440 years ago."

"When he attacked the capital of Fiore." It was not a question, so Grandine graciously ignored the Ice mage's tactless statement and continued.

"He was one of the greatest dragons of all cycles, his name famous among all of our race."

Natsu couldn't help himself. He rolled his eyes at the speech the dragon was giving them. Almost like reciting a book about one of the Saints.

Upon seeing the action, Metalicana sighed and motioned for her sister to stop.

"What Grandine here is trying to tell you is that Acnologia used to be one of the good guys. In fact, he was chosen to become the King of Dragons in this cycle."

"But isn't Luciana the Queen?" asked Levy, who had a vague idea of what happened.

"Yes she is. But she was the last choice. Well, at least until her twin went insane shortly before the coronation and killed thousands of humans."

"He went insane? Just like that?" piped in Jet and Droy, who were reluctant to make their presence known more than necessary. Dragons made them very nervous.

Metalicana's eyes darkened as she was once again reliving events of that day, leaving her sister to answer.

"The only one who knows the truth is Luciana."


	20. Shameful Truth

**Author's Note: **Yuuki~desu! Hi guys! *smiles awkwardly, eyes flitting to the nearest exit* Umm... Hope you're not too angry at me for not updating in so long... Ha ha. These past weeks were just too crazy and I had this minor writer's block... *bows deeply* Please forgive me. Also... Would you please send this humble author a review? I would appreciate it :) P.S. **As this can get very confusing, I want to make it clear that in this story, it is still night, around 1 AM and that the last and this chapter are happening at the same time.** Now, enjoy!

* * *

**Chapter 20: Shameful Truth**

Two hours ago, I would swear that the moment I woke up in the middle of a crater in an unknown world would make the top of my list 'The worst way to wake up'.

Now I was not so sure.

Someone was sitting on my stomach, keeping my hands bound together by magic right above my head. But that wasn't the worst of it.

That person was strangling me.

My eyes shot open the instant I felt two warm palms wrap around my neck. My sleepy mind took a while to process what I was seeing, but when I did, I almost wished I hadn't even opened my eyes.

I used my remaining breath to choke out the first thing I thought of.

"If you don't let go now, you'll regret it."

The person's grip on me only tightened. _Really smart Luciana. _I would slap myself if I had a free hand.

"Where is she?!"growled the man above me, his muscles visibly flexing with effort of keeping himself from instantly breaking my neck.

For which I was not too grateful, actually. It would save me a lot of trouble, now that I thought about it.

"WHERE IS SHE?!" he cried again, this time shaking me by my neck.

_Really troublesome_, I decided. Not to mention my shortage of oxygen.

I kept looking at my attacker blankly, letting my confusion and slight boredom at his actions show in my eyes.

Which, of course served to piss him off even more.

"WHAT HAVE YOU DONE TO LUCY?" This time his voice came out as a roar befitting of his name, Leo the Lion.

More than his demand, the black spots appearing in my vision made me change my mind about not speaking. Dying wasn't really an option since I had so much to do and 'I was too tired to save my ass so I let myself get strangled to death' sounded as a too lame excuse even to my own ears.

I opened my mouth as a sign that I was ready to speak, all the while feeling like a gaping fish left on the seashore with no way to get into water.

Thankfully, Loke's rage-filled mind registered the gesture as he pulled his hands away, allowing the air to actually go into my windpipe.

Patiently, like a predator eyeing the perfect moment to strike and get his prey, he waited for me to get over my coughing fit. Only when I was in the 'wheezing phase' did he show any sing of eagerness to know what I can tell him.

"I don't what you're talking about." I exclaimed stupidly, silently hoping it would work. I wasn't ready to start spilling the beans yet...

His eyes narrowed dangerously.

_Okay, this looks bad._

He gripped my shoulders with more force than necessary and lowered his face to mine. The action screamed 'scary and intimidating' in extraordinary volume and I tried not to flinch.

"Don't you lie to me."

Certainty reflected in his unwavering gaze told me that I screwed up somewhere. He wouldn't seem so sure I knew about Lucy if he didn't have a proof.

Meaning I forgot to hide something, or that I slipped up when Aries was here. Not that I remembered saying anything of significance while she was here and I was not prone to sleep-talking. Which left the possibility of me forgetting to hide something that would give me away.

I quickly surfed through my memories, trying to find the damn object that blew up my cover.

Nothing rang the bell which irritated me to no end. _I'll just make him tell me._

"Why do you think I'm lying?" I gulped at the death glare he was giving me, but didn't dare to look away. _Me and my quick mouth._

For a moment, he just sat there, looking like a vengeful god on a mission to kill a certain dragon. Me.

Then, suddenly, he reached into his pocket and pulled out the very thing my human life revolved around. The best proof of my knowledge of Lucy's whereabouts.

The Zodiac Keys.

I stared at the damn glittering thing, cursing my stupidity in every language I knew. _How could I forget I had the stupid keys charmed to always return to me, right after my kidnapping by the Phantom Lord? After all the difficulties I went to to find a mage that would charm it for me, using the Return Spell..._

"Fine. You got me." I had to phrase my next words very carefully. "What do you want to know?"

_Yeah, that was careful... _snorted the traitorous voice inside my head.

"WHERE. IS. LUCY?"

I hurriedly tried to think of an answer that would not reveal my identity and be true at the same time. I had this unsettling feeling Loke would know if I lied...

"She's in this realm."

"Where exactly?"

I groaned inwardly. "In my lair."

Immediately, he got off me and heaved me up to my legs by the magical rope tied around my wrists.

I squeaked when he did so. Partly in surprise and partly in embarrassment because the only thing I was wearing was the Spirit King's cloak.

Leo blushed and turned to look away when he realized my problem.

_At least he has enough sense to look away... _I thought while tucking the cloak closely to my body, so that it covered me fully.

That's when Loke remembered his original purpose. "Which room?"

I bit my bottom lip, thinking hard. _What now?_

_Just spill the damn beans already. _lectured the stupid voice. The stupid **wise** voice.

There was just no way I could get out of this by lying. Truth was all that's left.

I sighed and looked Loke into eyes, feeling shameful and cruel for lying to him.

"This room." I whispered.

We stood there in a very uncomfortable silence, me refusing to look at him, and he staring at me with uncomprehending eyes.

I was waiting for him to put two and two together. Which, he did.

"Lucy?"


	21. Leo's Pride

**Author's Note: **Yuuki~desu! Okay, so let's skip the pretty part and get to the main point. *bows to the ground* Forgive me for neglecting you! I'm sure you're curious how this will go on and I just keep torturing you by not posting anything for three (four?)weeks. I'm just having a hard time dealing with my personal life AND studies... I know, I know, it's lame... You'll just have to accept it. The next chappie will be MUCH longer and hopefully, I will finally get to make a scene with both the Fairy Tail members AND Luciana soon. Now, enjoy! Yeah and **REVIEW!** :3

**Chapter 21: Leo's Pride**

"Lucy?"

I nodded, hoping it would suffice as an answer and the Stellar Spirit before me would just accept it.

_Fat chance._

After a few seconds of tense silence and fierce battle of stares, Loki took a step closer to me. I thought of it as a good sign and smiled shyly.

Which only showed how stupid I really was, since right at that moment, a punch landed on my abdomen.

I hurled forward, trying not to retch. I sat there for what felt like ages, persuading my stomach to calm down.

Just when I was sure it wouldn't betray me, Leo grabbed my hair, pulling me up on my legs. I clawed at his hand, hissing and screeching in pain. To my dismay, it only made him more angry.

He flung me across the room, where I hit the bedpost with my head. I whimpered and rose my hand to the back of my skull, inspecting the possible injuries. Though I felt no pain while touching my head, I knew it didn't mean I did not receive any serious cuts or bruises. The more serious the injury, the longer time until the numbness faded away.

To my utter horror, the hand I used to palpate my head was bloody. I stared at it, trying to figure out just how bad the cut was.

A shuffling brought my attention away from the crimson liquid dripping down from my palm, onto the cold stone tiles. I looked up, only to meet a familiar pair of hazel eyes.

The only difference between the reality and my memories were the emotions reflected in them. Kindness, love and protectiveness have been replaced by contempt, indifference and brutality.

It was only now that he fully resembled the zodiac animal he was – lion. The lion who was searching for a missing member of his pride, determined to stop at nothing to find them.

To find me.

My vision became blurry. Whether it was from tears or blood loss, I did not know. But I do know that the last thing I remember is that I kept muttering the same words all over again.

"I'm sorry, I'm so sorry..." I was whispering, the words becoming weaker with my wavering consciousness.

_I'm sorry for making you into this monster._


	22. The Border of Reincarnation

**Author's Note: **Yuuki~desu! Hey guys, ya missed me? Sure you did. Ok, here you got the new chapter. This one's a bit unque, but you'll understand when you read it. Don't forget to review! ;) Even if it's only to say to update soon, do it. It helps to remind me that there are actually people who care about this story. Thank you for your support and all your reviews! Love ya guys!

**Chapter 22: The Border of Reincarnation**

Glittering moonlight curiously pulsed with its power, washing over the sleeping forms of the two dragons and their guests in the Glass dome. It crawled atop everything, leaving behind only a ghost of kisses the sun could give.

Almost as if it was alive, it stopped as it reached the little blue-haired girl, the only living being still awake.

Wendy, lying on one of the beds Luciana graciously provided for them, kept staring at seemingly nothing, her mind drowning deeper into her memories from just moments ago.

Frown spread over her face as she remembered the silence that was still stretching between the dragons and humans after Metalicana refused to tell them anything more. The Iron dragon's last sentence resonated in the silence of Wendy's tired mind over and over.

"_The only one who knows the truth is Luciana."_

Frustrated, the little dragon slayer closed her eyes and slung her arm over them, hoping to fall asleep soon.

But the dream land never came.

She bolted up from the bed, its metal construction screeching from the sudden shift of weight. Looking around her, Wendy's widened eyes met the sparkling green ones of her adoptive mother. They reached an understanding only mother and a child could, coming to a conclusion they both felt the unsettling change in the air around them.

Something was happening.

Nodding, the masters of air moved as one towards the mouth of the cave, knowing full well it led deeper, into the unknown place.

Trying her best not to spring into a full run, the little Fairy Tail mage observed the feeling she got, apprehensive of the fact it was more of a premonition than a feeling.

Having felt the uneasiness once before, she followed the whispers of future death deeper into the mysterious cave.

* * *

Loke kept staring blankly at the crimson puddle forming around the white-and-black-haired woman, recognition finally lifting the red curtain of rage from within his mind.

Not knowing what to do now that he regained his senses back, he took a step towards the human-looking being crumpled on the floor.

That was when the scent hit him full force. The scent of approaching death.

Dumbfounded, he stopped, the tips of his boots mere inches from the puddle of blood.

_Shouldn't I call someone? _flashed through his mind, shocking him.

He didn't think there was anything other than numbness inside him. The fact he could still think caught him unprepared.

He nodded as if to answer his own question, his eyes narrowing down on Luciana's red-tinted hair and pale cheeks.

In another second, he was opening the gate to the spirit world, calling for the only person he could think of. Aries.

The pink-haired girl quickly caught onto the strange emotion in her leader's voice, which made her hurry. Within seconds, she appeared by his side.

At first, her mind couldn't make out what she was looking at. It was so unbelievable. The person she saw falling asleep just five minutes ago, was now lying at the foot of her own bed, dying.

Quick as a flash, she knelt down beside the girl, inspecting her head wound and trying to think of the best way of action.

Without hesitation, she tore the cape from around the girl's shoulders, pressing it on her wound in an attempt to stop the bleeding. She was just about to tell Loki to call Virgo, who had the most experience with treating wounds, when he spoke.

"Aren't dragons supposed to be immortal?"

Aries' jaw dropped at that. Quickly she realized he would be of no help in his state of mind, so she leapt up and grabbed the Zodiac keys from inside the Loki's jacket pocket. With shaking hands and determined look in her eyes, she opened the Gate of Virgo, recounting the situation to her.

The pink-haired spirit wearing the maid uniform immediately crouched next to the wounded Queen of Dragons and began the very complicated healing process.

She would regularly push her magic power into the girl's wound and sew it with a thin line made of the girl's own magical power.

Aries watched silently, her stomach making flip-flops with every stitch.

Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed that Loki was now leaning against one of the walls, right in-between two portraits of ethereal-looking dragons. His face void of emotions, but his shoulders were slumped in defeat, his head bowed lower than usual in shame and his arms were crossed on his chest with more force than necessary, a sign of inner battle of regret and self-hate.

The sheep spirit bit her quivering lip harder, drawing blood.

_What is going to become of us now?_

* * *

I felt like I was waking up from a really fuzzy dream. I felt happy and content, ready to greet the new morning.

That was probably why my frown was so deep once I realized I wasn't waking up. I was falling deeper into the confines of my mind, into the place we all know of but no one remembers.

I was standing on the edge of the borders of reincarnation, meaning I was dying.

Just like hundreds times before, I waited for what I knew was to come. The judgement.

I tried to remember what all the judgements before this one were like, but the memories eluded me.

Determined to remain patient, I sat down and looked around. Which wasn't exactly entertaining since all around me was blackness pierced only by the line made of the purest magical power.

That's what I focused on. It didn't take a genius to figure out that once I passed to the other side of the line, I was start my life anew.

I sat there for what felt like seconds but it could be millenniums for all I knew. Suddenly, a voice pierced the eerie silence of the space.

"My child, I see you have come to me again."

My words came to me naturally. "Yes, mother. I followed your call."

"My dear, you are not here because of my call."

My eyes widened in surprise. "I am not?"

"No. You have come here of your volition. You felt so lost and confused you decided to seek me out."

"B-But that shouldn't be possible!" _I mean, no one can just leave their body and realm to enter the border of reincarnation just because they feel like it. Or can they?_

"Oh, but it is, my child. I am here for all who need help and you certainly do. Or am I mistaken?"

I thought back to my last moments, realizing that I really did call for help. But it would be selfish of me to ask for it from the Great Will, the mother of all.

"I... I-" Before I could apologize, she interrupted me.

"Do not apologize, kind one. Had I not deemed your plea for help worthy, I would not have shown myself to you. Now, allow me to light your path for you."

I was quite confused what she was talking about. That is, until the images hit me.

_Lava was gushing out of the volcano, lazily flowing down the mountainside. A sudden gust of wind blew the toxic fog at the group of travelers going downhill, who either shielded their noses or, like a certain salmon-haired mage, laughed. The sound carried in the afternoon air almost as cheerily as a bird's song in a living realm would._

The image then flashed, turning into another one.

_A very unstable and bizarre-looking building with the Fairy Tail insignia came into view. From inside familiar and new voices alike could be heard, holding no hint of their previous sadness. They spoke of many things but only one got repeated frequently. **Lucy is alive, **they would say._

I clutched my head in my hands, bewildered. _What are these images?_

_An unfamiliar forest path stretched before me, sounds of a flowing river reaching my ears. Quick as __a flash, white and violet dragon descended from the sky, sniffing the road and rising up into air once again._

I nearly doubled over when that one passed. _What the hell was I doing in Fiore in my dragon form? _However, I didn't have time to ponder about it as my vision blurred again.

_Smell of blood assaulted my senses. The whole area was painted with it, the crimson only occasionally interrupted by blackness of the scorched walls, ground and human bodies. Eerie silence ended with an enraged roar coming from the above, its owner obviously the white and violet dragon hovering just above the massacre._

All my strength left me and I fell to the floor, shivering with horror-stricken eyes. _I couldn't have done that, could I?_

_Natsu was heatedly arguing with Gray about something, with Erza finally getting them in line. Wendy then came to the three, offering them drinks she had on a tray. Erza took one, patting the little dragon slayer's head. Natsu raised his glass, motioning for someone to come over with his trademark grin plastered on his face. A hint of white and black appeared behind him as he got tackled to the ground, spilling the drink all over himself. He looked up, flustered, at the white-and-black-haired girl towering over him with a mischievous smile, which he returned._

_What the hell was I doing with Natsu and the others?!_ Now, it was clear those are no memories. There was only one conclusion. These were glimpses of my future.

_The white and violet dragon whimpered in pain as its wing was cut off. Despite the numerous bruises the dragon stood up and lashed out, probably in the direction of its enemy, only to get half of her face badly burnt. Again, she ran forward, snapping her fangs insanely, when a metal pole sprung from the ground underneath the dragon, piercing its lung. The dragon howled._

I bit my lip, ashamed I could get so badly beaten up without landing a single hit on my enemy, whoever it was. _I'll have to make sure I remember exactly in which sequence the attacks came. It'll surely come handy. _Finally seeing some sense to these flashes, I braced myself for the next one.

_Black, never-changing abyss stretched for what looked like miles, but could also be mere foots. In that cold and dark place, a single white ball of energy was floating, screaming for freedom, cursing the loneliness. But there came no answer, not even an echo. The light the ball was producing then slowly dimmed, until there was nothing left. Nothing but its last cry. **Why?**_

I gasped for air. I had not been prepared for that. The mix of emotions that one last scene left in me was overwhelming. Different emotions fought for dominance, until one won over the others.

Amusement.

I could not help myself. I started laughing. It began with slight giggling, grew into amused chuckling and in the end sprouted into a hysteric laughter. One that made your blood run cold, your heart tremble and your mind go insane with fear.

That's when a voice that certainly did not belong to the Great Will, spoke. "Funny, isn't is? Your future looks so much like your past, it makes you wonder why you even bother to go on living, doesn't it?"

I paid no attention to the masculine voice as I continued laughing, locked in my own world.

"You have always lived your life for the others, never the one to make selfish wishes. And that is exactly how you will die. For the others. Fighting for a cause that does not concern you, dying because there was a shitty god messing with your brother's head. Isn't that a sweet reward for all the good you've done? Not only for dragons, but for humans AND the Great Will alike." The voice continued.

My laughter was slowly dying down, as my amusement started receding, another emotion calling for my attention.

"Why don't you tell the Great Will what you honestly think about this future she's got planned for you? I'm sure it'll contain some juicy words the 'Great Bitch' has not heard in a while."

I whipped around to the source of the voice. There stood a middle-aged blonde man wearing a midnight blue, tattered cape with a hood, which was hiding half of his face. He wore a smug smile, content with himself and the psychoanalysis he just made on me.

I smiled sweetly at him before I lunged at his form, gripping him by his neck and tearing off his head before he could made a sound. With a satisfied huff I dropped his head next to his body, contemplating whether to follow the dark urge that formed in my mind.

I shrugged _...Why the heck not? _With that, I kicked his body and then lifted his head by his hair, immediately throwing it as far as I could.

When I was done, I wiped my hands at his robes and turned back to look at the Great Will's all-seeing eyes.

"I accept my fate." I said determinedly.

"I knew you would." she replied.

I smirked at her and waved goodbye as I willed my soul to return to my body.


	23. Beloved Password

**Author's Note: **Yuuki~desu! Now, I bet you thought I died or something. I mean, no update in 6 months?** Crazy**. Those of you who have been following this story from the beginning probably don't even remember what it's about! I'm sorry about that. Life got crazy.

Thank you all for your kind reviews. They helped me to go on with the writing :) **I actually never noticed I got over 100! I love you guys so much!**

I never thanked any individual in this story, but I feel obliged to do so now. **VERY special thanks to Vivid x Dreams. **You reviewed right at the time I needed it the most. The Saturday before your review, I took my certification exam in English and screwed up pretty badly. Your review helped me get out of the horrible depression and inspired me to write the next chappie this soon! Also, I can't really answer any of your questions in fear of revealing too much, but you'll find your answers if you wait long enough ;) Thank you, again.*gives you a big bear hug*

Now, read and REVIEW! :D

**Chapter 23: Beloved Password**

The two air masters started to question their decision as they made their way deeper into the cave. Its darkness was impenetrable even for Grandine's superior sight.

"Grandine..." panted Wendy, not missing a step in her desperate run. "Are you sure it's this way?"

The great light blue dragon turned its head to asses the little girl. She was obviously straining herself to keep up with her long strides.

She found herself pitying her adopted daughter despite it not being the right time for it. She had thought of carrying the blue-head but was worried they would not fit through the tight tunnels of the place if she did so.

"I am positive. The stench of death is coming from just ahead of us."

The dragon slayer simply nodded, unable to choke out any more words.

Not long after that, they came to a stop right in front of ancient, sturdy-looking doors.

Wendy wheezed, trying to catch her breath, leaving it to her mother to open the glowing, artfully carved amethyst panels.

Without hesitation, the dragon pushed her way through narrow opening and bumped her head on the doors in hope of making it open with the impact. Surprisingly, it didn't move.

_Why can't it ever be that easy?..._ groaned Grandine inwardly, already gathering her magical force.

With mighty roar, the air dragoness released her famous great gale, but to no avail. The doors did not even shake.

However, the winds succeeded in something else. The air pushed through the tiniest crack between the panels and as she withdrew her attack, it returned, marked with the scents from inside.

The blue-head scrambled from the ground where her adoptive mother's power sent her and dusted off her clothes.

"Why won't it open?!" hissed the frustrated lizard-like creature.

Wendy glanced at the dragoness cautiously. "Maybe it works on some kind of a password..."

"We don't have time for that!"

Echo of the shriek made the girl wince. "Can't you smell it, Wendy?!"

The little dragon slayer balled her hands into fists, trying to hold on that sliver of sensibility she still had in her.

"Please, Grandine! I'm just as worried as you are, but we have to keep calm. If the doors truly work on a password, there is no other way to open it."

For a moment, it looked like the dragon would not listen to her, her back muscles clenching as if she was ready to pounce on the door with all her weight.

Suddenly, the blue-dragon's tense form relaxed slightly and her voice came out in desperate cries.

"Peaches! Strawberries! Sun! Mirror!"

Shocked, the Fairy Tail mage didn't know what to do. It almost seemed as if the dragon went insane, shouting random things.

"Wolds of Origin! Violet! Purple! Wallaia! Igneel! Books!"

_Could she possibly...?_ wondered Wendy silently, imaginary light bulb lighting up in her head.

In matter of seconds, the little mage went through everything she knew of the Queen of Dragons, from the way she held herself, to what she was wearing when she left.

"Gloves!" she chirped in quickly, earning a proud look from her mentor.

"Acnologia! Cross!"

"Amethyst! Black!"

"Silver! Ace!"

"Vision! Dragon!" Grandine snorted at that and Wendy hung her head low in embarrassment.

This went on for a while, the two of them having said anything they could think of, even going as far as naming every living dragon (in Grandine's case) and every spell that enables mages to see the future (in Wendy's case).

Minutes went by and Grandine started to be positively seething.

_This is ridiculous! These doors obviously lead to Luciana's lair, so the password HAS to be something she likes... What kind of sister am I to not know what it is?_

Grandine couldn't block the depressing thoughts anymore. She had always known Luciana was more of a withdrawn person, but she still should know what she cares about. What it is that is closest to her heart, what she loves.

Her forest-green eyes widened with realization. _Loves! _

"Vernon." she breathed out in a daze, mad at herself for not thinking of it sooner.

A tell-tale click resounded in the little space.

The doors opened without any further sound, letting a stream of torch-light blind the two amazed figures.

* * *

Waking was something I did ridiculously often the past few hours, I noted.

Now, that wouldn't be so bad if it weren't for the fact every time I woke up, it was always under some unfavorable circumstances.

_And this is the worst one of them all._ I stated dryly.

Because, let's face it, I practically came back from the dead after getting attacked by one of my closest friends. That could hardly be called the best situation in which to come back to my senses...

I felt as if I was being pulled up from the bottom of deep dark ocean. Deep dark ocean full of sticky goo. Yeah, that was more like it.

I fought the initial dizziness and found there were at least two people with me in the room.

"...won't make it..."

"What... do?"

Even though I only caught snippets of their conversation, it didn't take a genius to realize what the two females were discussing. And that was, unfortunately, me.

_I'm up, guys. Now if you would only realize it and stop writing me off as dead..._

In a feeble attempt to capture their attention, I willed my thumb on my right hand to twitch. It must have worked because I could feel their stares on my face, probably expecting me to open my eyes.

"I...I think she's awake." said a very soft, almost childlike voice. The amount of awe that one simple statement held was amusing and I would have laughed if I could muster the energy to do so.

I was so weak, even the simple action of twitching my thumb tired me out. There was no way I could do more than that. Not if I wanted to stay conscious. And I sure as hell did.

Soft sound of shifting fabric came from somewhere to my left, making me frown.

_Perhaps it is a third person? _It did sound as a reasonable answer, but it bothered me I hadn't noticed the presence before.

"I have to agree. Miss, if you can hear us, please do it again." came a slightly colder, more monotone voice to my right.

I did not hesitate to follow the order and moved the finger again. The action caused the spectators to gasp in surprise.

"Good. Now, listen to me. You still are not out of the critical condition. You had not sustained any damage to the skull, nor a concussion, but it was bleeding profusely. You lost a lot of blood and if we do not find a healer soon, your condition might worsen. Do you understand?"

_Hey, wait! Isn't she supposed to be, like, telling everything is going to be all right and things like that?_ I tried to squash the momentary panic that rose within me and I must have spaced out for a bit longer than I thought because the woman repeated her question very loudly, as if she had already asked me many times already.

I strained my delicate finger muscles the third time, this time receiving a relieved sigh from the unknown spectator on the left.

"We will have to move you now in order to get you to a healer."

I was just about to give the calm female my consent when I heard a creak of what was most likely door pants.

A gust of wind licked my face and cooled my already cold skin, making me shiver.

"That won't be necessary." boomed a new voice authoritatively. "I am a healer."


End file.
